Abstract
Objective The prognosis after traumatic coma is often unclear. It can be difficult to predict the neurological outcome using clinical criteria or imaging techniques alone. In patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) median somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) serve as an accepted prognostic tool. They are widely available electrophysiological tests. We evaluated the prognostic value of SSEPs in comatous patients in the intensive care unit regarding longterm outcome. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 50 patients (18–75 years) with severe brain trauma (GCS Results Preliminary results demonstrate that 90% of the patients with bilaterally absent or abnormal SSEP results had fatal prognosis or severe neurological deficits. Unilaterally absent SSEP had a negative predictive value with a rather poor GOS. Patients with GOS 4 and 5 could be predicted by bilateral normal SSEP. Conclusion Somatosensory evoked potentials are widely available electrophysiological tests and can provide an objective biomarker of a neurological outcome and assist in reliable predicting of the prognosis in patients with TBI. They should therefore be used more often for intensive care unit patients.
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