Sex Differences in In-hospital Complications Among Older Adults After Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

BackgroundOlder adults have the highest rates of hospitalization and mortality after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and suffer poorer outcomes compared with younger adults with similar injuries. Non-neurological complications can significantly impact outcomes. Evidence suggests that women may have better outcomes after TBI. However, sex differences in in-hospital complications among older adults after TBI have not been studied. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in in-hospital complications after TBI among adults aged 65 y and older. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults aged ≥65 y treated for isolated moderate to severe TBI at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center between 1996 and 2012. Using the Shock Trauma Center registry, we identified TBI using the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes and required an abbreviated injury scale head score ≥3, abbreviated injury scale scores for other body regions ≤2, and a blunt injury mechanism. We searched the Shock Trauma Center registry for the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes representing in-hospital complications. ResultsOf 2511 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 1283 (51.1%) were men and 635 (25.1%) developed an in-hospital complication. Men were more likely than women to develop an in-hospital complication (28.1% versus 22.0, P < 0.001). In an adjusted analysis, men were at increased risk of any in-hospital complication (hazards ratio 1.23; 95% confidence interval 1.05, 1.44) compared with women. ConclusionsOlder men were more likely to have any in-hospital complications than women.