Global traumatic brain injury research enters a new era.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a substantial medical and socioeconomic challenge worldwide, and reliable data on epidemiology, care pathways, and outcomes are still lacking because of heterogeneity in definitions, data collection, and reporting. 1 Maas AIR Menon DK Adelson PD et al. Traumatic brain injury: integrated approaches to improve prevention, clinical care, and research. Lancet Neurol. 2017; 16: 987-1048 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (874) Google Scholar The pan-European Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research (CENTER-TBI) study 2 Maas AI Menon DK Steyerberg EW et al. Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI): a prospective longitudinal observational study. Neurosurgery. 2015; 76: 67-80 Crossref PubMed Scopus (276) Google Scholar , 3 Steyerberg EW Wiegers E Sewalt C et al. Case-mix, care pathways, and outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury in CENTER-TBI: a European prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, cohort study. Lancet Neurol. 2019; 18: 923-934 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (143) Google Scholar paves the way for large-scale collaborative studies on TBI across continents, using common definitions and harmonised data collection. 2 Maas AI Menon DK Steyerberg EW et al. Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI): a prospective longitudinal observational study. Neurosurgery. 2015; 76: 67-80 Crossref PubMed Scopus (276) Google Scholar In The Lancet Neurology, Guoyi Gao and colleagues report the results of the Chinese sister study—the CENTER-TBI China registry study including 13 138 patients from 52 centres. 4 Gao G Wu X Feng J et al. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury in China: a prospective, multicenter, longitudinal, observational study. Lancet Neurol. 2020; 19: 670-677 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (25) Google Scholar For the first time, clinical data of TBI in China have been collected in a format that is compatible with standardised common data elements and identical inclusion criteria. Despite limitations—eg, data collection restricted to patients in neurointensive care or preselected neurosurgical centres and to outcome at discharge only—the results can be considered as representative of how care for patients with TBI is delivered in China today. The study covered two-thirds of all Chinese provinces and had a median enrolment of 137 patients per centre (IQR 51–346; appendix). Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury in China: a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, observational studyThe results show differences in mortality between centres and regions across China, which indicates potential for identifying best practices through comparative effectiveness research. The risk factors identified in prognostic analyses might contribute to developing benchmarks for assessing quality of care. Full-Text PDF