Discharge Glasgow Coma Scale Score Research Articles

Use of Novel Automated Active Irrigation With Drainage Versus Passive Drainage Alone for Chronic Subdural Hematoma-A Propensity Score-Matched Comparative Study With Volumetric Analysis.

Passive drainage post-surgical evacuation of symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is currently standard of care. High rates of infection, drain occlusion, and recurrence are associated complications. To explore the use of a novel double-lumen active automated irrigation and aspiration system, IRRAflow (IRRAS), for patients with cSDH and compared procedural and clinical outcomes against passive drainage alone with propensity score matching (PSM) and volumetric analysis. A prospectively maintained database was retrospectively searched for consecutive patients presenting with cSDH. One-to-one PSM of covariates (including baseline comorbidities and presentation hematoma volume) in active and passive irrigation groups was performed to adjust for treatment selection bias. Rates of hematoma clearance, catheter-related occlusion, and infection; number of revisions; and length of hospital stay were recorded. This study included 55 patients: active continuous irrigation-drainage-21 (21 post-PSM) and passive drainage-34 (21 post-PSM). For PSM groups, a significantly higher rate of hematoma clearance was obtained in the active irrigation-drainage group (0.5 ± 0.4 vs 0.4 ± 0.5 mL/day) and in the passive drainage group; odds ratio (OR) = 1.291 (CI: 1.062-1.570, P = .002) and a significantly lower rate of catheter-related infections (OR = 0.051; CI: 0.004-0.697, P = .039). A nonsignificantly lower hematoma expansion rate at discharge was noted in the active irrigation-drainage group (4.8% vs 23.8%; OR = 0.127; P = .186). No statistical difference in all-cause in-hospital mortality or discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was observed between groups. Active and automated continuous irrigation plus drainage after cSDH surgical evacuation resulted in faster hematoma clearance and led to favorable clinical outcomes and low complication and revision rates compared with passive irrigation.

Spindle wave in intracranial pressure signal analysis for patients with traumatic brain injury: A single-center prospective observational cohort study.

Objective: Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is an integral part of the multimodality monitoring system in the neural intensive care unit. The present study aimed to describe the morphology of the spindle wave (a shuttle shape with wide middle and narrow ends) during ICP signal monitoring in TBI patients and to investigate its clinical significance. Methods: Sixty patients who received ICP sensor placement and admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit between January 2021 and September 2021 were prospectively enrolled. The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission and at discharge and length of stay in hospital were recorded. ICP monitoring data were monitored continuously. The primary endpoint was 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) score. Patients with ICP spindle waves were assigned to the spindle wave group and those without were assigned to the control group. The correlation between the spindle wave and 6-month GOSE was analyzed. Meanwhile, the mean ICP and two ICP waveform-derived indices, ICP pulse amplitude (AMP) and correlation coefficient between AMP and ICP (RAP) were comparatively analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of age (p = 0.89), gender composition (p = 0.62), and GCS score on admission (p = 0.73). Patients with spindle waves tended to have a higher GCS score at discharge (12.75 vs. 10.90, p = 0.01), a higher increment in GCS score during hospitalization (ΔGCS, the difference between discharge GCS score and admission GCS score) (4.95 vs. 2.80, p = 0.01), and a better 6-month GOSE score (4.90 vs. 3.68, p = 0.04) compared with the control group. And the total duration of the spindle wave was positively correlated with 6-month GOSE (r = 0.62, p = 0.004). Furthermore, the parameters evaluated during spindle waves, including mean ICP, AMP, and RAP, demonstrated significant decreases compared with the parameters before the occurrence of the spindle wave (all p < 0.025). Conclusion: The ICP spindle wave was associated with a better prognosis in TBI patients. Physiological parameters such as ICP, AMP, and RAP were significantly improved when spindle waves occurred, which may explain the enhancement of clinical outcomes. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms behind this wave.

Zone 1 Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta vs Resuscitative Thoracotomy for Patient Resuscitation After Severe Hemorrhagic Shock

Aortic occlusion (AO) is a lifesaving therapy for the treatment of severe traumatic hemorrhagic shock; however, there remains controversy whether AO should be accomplished via resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) or via endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in zone 1. To compare outcomes of AO via RT vs REBOA zone 1. This was a comparative effectiveness research study using a multicenter registry of postinjury AO from October 2013 to September 2021. AO via REBOA zone 1 (above celiac artery) was compared with RT performed in the emergency department of facilities experienced in both procedures and documented in the prospective multicenter Aortic Occlusion for Resuscitation in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (AORTA) registry. Propensity score matching (PSM) with exact institution matching was used, in addition to subgroup multivariate analysis to control for confounders. The study setting included the ED, where AO via RT or REBOA was performed, and participants were adult trauma patients 16 years or older. AO via REBOA zone 1 vs RT. The primary outcome was survival. Secondary outcomes were ventilation-free days (VFDs), intensive care unit (ICU)-free days, discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score, and Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS). A total of 991 patients (median [IQR] age, 32 [25-48] years; 808 male individuals [81.9%]) with a median (IQR) Injury Severity Score of 29 (18-50) were included. Of the total participants, 306 (30.9%) had AO via REBOA zone 1, and 685 (69.1%) had AO via RT. PSM selected 112 comparable patients (56 pairs). REBOA zone 1 was associated with a statistically significant lower mortality compared with RT (78.6% [44] vs 92.9% [52]; P = .03). There were no significant differences in VFD greater than 0 (REBOA, 18.5% [10] vs RT, 7.1% [4]; P = .07), ICU-free days greater than 0 (REBOA, 18.2% [10] vs RT, 7.1% [4]; P = .08), or discharge GOS of 5 or more (REBOA, 7.5% [4] vs RT, 3.6% [2]; P = .38). Multivariate analysis confirmed the survival benefit of REBOA zone 1 after adjustment for significant confounders (relative risk [RR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15-1.36). In all subgroup analyses (cardiopulmonary resuscitation on arrival, traumatic brain injury, chest injury, pelvic injury, blunt/penetrating mechanism, systolic blood pressure ≤60 mm Hg on AO initiation), REBOA zone 1 offered an either similar or superior survival. Results of this comparative effectiveness research suggest that REBOA zone 1 provided better or similar survival than RT for patients requiring AO postinjury. These findings provide the ethically necessary equipoise between these therapeutic approaches to allow the planning of a randomized controlled trial to establish the safety and effectiveness of REBOA zone 1 for AO in trauma resuscitation.

Outcomes of Extracorporeal Life Support Use in Accidental Hypothermia: A Systematic Review

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been used in the treatment of accidental hypothermia with hemodynamic instability, with promising outcomes. This systematic review examines ECLS treatment of accidental hypothermia to assess outcomes. An electronic search was performed to identify articles reporting ECLS use for treatment of accidental hypothermia. Only reports describing patients aged more than 16 years after January 1, 2005, were included. Nineteen studies were identified comprising 47 patients. Demographic information, perioperative variables, and outcomes were extracted for analysis. Median patient age was 48 years (interquartile range (IQR), 29 to 56), and 72.3% (34 of 47) were male. On presentation, median body temperature was 24.6°C (IQR, 22.2° to 26°C), median potassium level 4.3 mmol/L (IQR, 3.4 to 4.6 mmol/L), and median Glasgow Coma Scale score 3 (IQR, 3 to 7). Cardiac arrest occurred in 35 of 47 patients (74.5%). Median time to ECLS initiation from scene was 155 minutes (IQR, 113 to 245). Median ECLS duration was 18 hours (IQR, 4 to 27), with median rewarming rate of 2°C per hour (IQR, 1.5° to 4°). Median intensive care unit stay and hospital length of stay were 8 days (IQR, 2 to 16) and 17 days (IQR, 10 to 36), respectively. Inhospital mortality was 19.1% (9 of 47). Median discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15 (IQR, 15 to 15) with minor long-term cognitive impairments noted in 6 of 47 patients (19.4%). Survival was significantly associated with potassium on presentation (P < .001), initial body temperature (P < .001), and ECLS rewarming rate (P < .001). Extracorporeal life support is a viable cardiac support option for rewarming patients with accidental hypothermia, and initial potassium level, initial body temperature, and ECLS rewarming rate appear to be significantly associated with survival.

Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta and Resuscitative Thoracotomy in Select Patients with Hemorrhagic Shock: Early Results from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma’s Aortic Occlusion in Resuscitation for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Registry

Aortic occlusion is a potentially valuable tool for early resuscitation in patients nearing extremis or in arrest from severe hemorrhage. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma's Aortic Occlusion in Resuscitation for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery registry identified trauma patients without penetrating thoracic injury undergoing aortic occlusion at the level of the descending thoracic aorta (resuscitative thoracotomy [RT] or zone 1 resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta [REBOA]) in the emergency department (ED). Survival outcomes relative to the timing of CPR need and admission hemodynamic status were examined. Two hundred and eighty-five patients were included: 81.8% were males, with injury due to penetrating mechanisms in 41.4%; median age was 35.0 years (interquartile range 29 years) and median Injury Severity Score was 34.0 (interquartile range 18). Resuscitative thoracotomy was used in 71%, and zone 1 REBOA in 29%. Overall survival beyond the ED was 50% (RT 44%, REBOA 63%; p= 0.004) and survival to discharge was 5% (RT 2.5%, REBOA 9.6%; p= 0.023). Discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15 in 85% of survivors. Prehospital CPR was required in 60% of patients with a survival beyond the ED of 37% and survival to discharge of 3% (all p > 0.05). Patients who did not require any CPR before had a survival beyond the ED of 70% (RT 48%, REBOA 93%; p < 0.001) and survival to discharge of 13% (RT 3.4%, REBOA 22.2%, p= 0.048). If aortic occlusion patients did not require CPR but presented with hypotension (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg; 9% [65% RT; 35% REBOA]), they achieved survival beyond the ED in 65% (p= 0.009) and survival to discharge of 15% (RT 0%, REBOA 44%; p= 0.008). Overall, REBOA can confer a survival benefit over RT, particularly in patients not requiring CPR. Considerable additional study is required to definitively recommend REBOA for specific subsets of injured patients.

RBC transfusions in children requiring intensive care admission after traumatic injury*.

To describe packed RBC utilization patterns in trauma patients admitted to a PICU and study associated outcomes while controlling for severity. Retrospective cohort study. The PICU of a tertiary care children's hospital. All pediatric trauma patients admitted to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital PICU between June 2007 and July 2010, either directly from the emergency department or transferred from another institution. None. Of 389 trauma patients, 107 patients (27.5%) transferred to the PICU were transfused with blood products. Of these transfusions, 81 were packed RBC transfusions and 26 were other blood products. Only 73 of the packed RBC transfusions had a documented time of transfusion: 17 (23.3%) were transfused prior to PICU admission, seven (9.5%) both before and after PICU, and 49 (67.1%) only after PICU admission. After adjusting for injury severity score, transfused patients had higher odds of needing mechanical ventilation (odds ratios, 9.2; 95% CI, 3.6-23.3) and higher risk of mortality (odds ratios, 8.6; 95% CI, 2.6-28.6), when compared with nontransfused patients. Mean age of packed RBC was 19.6 ± 9.3 days (mean ± SD). The impact of age of packed RBCs on mortality was examined as a categorical variable at 14, 21, and 28 days. Packed RBCs more than 28 days old (14/61 patients) were associated with longer lengths of stay (13 ± 12 vs 7 ± 6; p < 0.03), lower discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score (9 ± 6 vs 13 ± 4; p< 0.03), and more mortality (43% vs 13%; p < 0.02) when compared with blood less than 28 days old. In pediatric trauma patients, transfusion of packed RBC and use of older RBC units are associated with higher risk of adverse outcomes independent of injury severity.

A prospective evaluation of the use of routine repeat cranial CT scans in patients with intracranial hemorrhage and GCS score of 13 to 15

Scheduled repeat head computed tomography after mild traumatic brain injury has been shown to have limited use for predicting the need for an intervention. We hypothesized that repeat computed tomography in persons with intracranial hemorrhage and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 13 to 15, without clinical progression of neurologic symptoms, does not impact the need for neurosurgical intervention or discharge GCS scores. This prospective cohort study followed all patients presenting to our urban Level I trauma center with intracranial hemorrhage and a GCS score of 13 to 15 from February 2010 to December 2010. Subjects were divided into two groups: those in whom repeat CT scans were performed routinely (ROUTINE) and those in whom they were performed selectively (SELECTIVE) based on changes in clinical examination. CT scanning decisions were made at the discretion of the neurosurgical service attending physician. One hundred forty-five patients met the inclusion criteria (ROUTINE, n = 92; SELECTIVE, n = 53). Group demographics, including age, sex, and presenting GCS score were not significantly different. Of SELECTIVE patients, six (11%) required a repeat head computed tomography for a neurologic change, with one having a radiographic progression of hemorrhage (16%) versus 26 (28%) of 92 in the ROUTINE group showing a radiographic progression. No patient in either group required medical or neurosurgical intervention based on repeat scan. The number of CT scans performed differed between the two groups (three scans in ROUTINE vs. one scan in SELECTIVE, p < 0.001), as did the intensive care unit (2 days vs. 1 day, p < 0.001) and hospital (5 days vs. 2 days, p < 0.001) lengths of stay. Discharge GCS score was similar for both groups (15 vs. 15, p = 0.37). One death occurred in the SELECTIVE group, unrelated to intracranial findings. The negative predictive value of a repeat CT scan leading to neurosurgical intervention with no change in clinical examination was 100% for both groups. A practice of selective repeat head CT scans in patients with traumatic brain injury admitted with a GCS score of 13 to 15 decreases use of the test and is associated with decreased hospital length of stay, without impacting discharge GCS scores. Diagnostic study, level II.

Timing of femur fracture fixation: effect on outcome in patients with thoracic and head injuries.

Optimal timing of femur fracture fixation remains controversial. This study examines the association between the timing of femur fracture fixation and outcome in patients with concomitant chest and head injuries. A retrospective review of registry data from a Level I trauma center identified 1362 patients with a femoral shaft fracture over a 12-year period. Patients were categorized into five groups by timing of femur fracture fixation: Group 1, within 24 hours; Group 2, 24 to 48 hours; Group 3, 48 to 120 hours; Group 4, > 120 hours; and Group 5, patients with no operative fixation. Primary outcome measures included morbidity (specifically, pulmonary complications) and mortality. Secondary outcome measures were hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score. Subsets of patients were examined including all patients with multiple injuries (Injury Severity Score > 15), chest trauma (Chest Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 2), and head trauma (Head Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 2). Acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, hospital length of stay, and intensive care unit length of stay were lowest in the group fixed within 24 hours, even in patients with concomitant head or chest trauma. Fixation between 2 and 5 days was associated with a significantly increased incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and fat embolization syndrome in patients with concurrent chest trauma (p < 0.0001). In head-injured patients, discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was highest in the group fixed within 24 hours. Timing of operative fixation did not affect mortality. Our data show that early femur fracture fixation (< 24 hours) is associated with an improved outcome, even in patients with coexistent head and/or chest trauma. Fixation of femur fractures at 2 to 5 days was associated with a significant increase in pulmonary complications, particularly with concomitant head or chest trauma, and length of stay. Chest and head trauma are not contraindications to early fixation with reamed intramedullary nailing.