Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Research Articles

Opportunity to reduce transfer of patients with mild traumatic brain injury and intracranial hemorrhage to a Level 1 trauma center

ObjectiveCurrent guidelines do not address the disposition of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and resultant intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Emergency medicine clinicians working in hospitals without neurosurgery coverage typically transfer patients with both to a trauma center with neurosurgery capability. Evidence is accruing which demonstrates that the risk of neurologic decompensation depends on the type of ICH and as a result, not every patient may need to be transferred. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for admission among patients with mild TBI and ICH who were transferred from a community hospital to the emergency department (ED) of a Level 1 trauma center. MethodsStudy subjects were patients ≥18years of age who were transferred from a community hospital to the ED of an urban, academic Level 1 trauma center between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016, and with an isolated traumatic ICH. Patients who had an epidural hematoma, were deemed to require a trauma center's level of service, were found to have non-traumatic ICHs, or had a Glasgow Coma Scale of <13 were excluded. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, we sought to determine patient factors and Computed Tomography (CT) findings which were associated with admission (to the floor, intensive care unit, or operating room with neurosurgery) of the Level 1 trauma center. Results644 transferred patients were identified; 205 remained eligible after exclusion criteria. Presence of warfarin (odds ratio [OR] 4.09, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.64, 10.25, p=0.0026) and a subdural hematoma (SDH) ≥1 cm (OR 6.28, 95% CI 1.24, 31.71, p=0.0263) were independently statistically significant factors predicting admission. Age, sex, GCS, presence of neurologic deficit, aspirin use, clopidogrel use, SDH <1 cm, IPH, and SAH were each independently not significant predictive factors of an admission. ConclusionsAfter controlling for factors, transferred patients with mild TBI with a SDH ≥1 cm or on warfarin have a higher odds ratio of requiring inpatient admission to a Level 1 trauma center. While these patients may require admission, there may be opportunities to develop and study a low risk traumatic intracranial hemorrhage protocol, which keeps a subgroup of patients with a mild TBI and resultant ICH at community hospitals with access to a nearby Level 1 trauma center.

Abstract WMP98: A Nationwide Study of Non-traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients Receiving Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy: J-Aspect Study

Background and purpose: The incidence of non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) during treatment with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is lower than that during warfarin treatment. The characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage during DOAC therapy, however, remain unclear. Therefore, we performed a nationwide survey in Japan to examine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of DOAC-associated ICH using data obtained from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC)-based Payment System. Methods: We analyzed the data of 1,567 patients with ICH (DOAC-associated ICH, 88; warfarin-associated ICH, 1,479) who were urgently hospitalized at 575 institutions across Japan from April 2010 to March 2013 for whom prescription data before admission were available. Results: The annual number of patients with all anticoagulant (DOAC or warfarin)- associated ICH in each year from 2010 to 2013 was 226, 252, 426, and 663, representing 15.7%, 15.4%, 16.1%, and 16.1% of all ICH cases in the same period, respectively. There was an increase in the proportion of patients who presented with DOAC-associated ICH in all anticoagulant-associated ICH in each year from 2010 to 2013 (0%→0.4%→3.8%→10.7%). The proportion of patients with impaired consciousness (three-digit score on Japan Coma Scale) at admission (DOAC, 19.3%; Warfarin, 25.4%; P=0.20), in-hospital mortality within 7 days (DOAC, 11.4%; Warfarin, 19.5%; P=0.06), and mRS score of 5-6 at discharge (DOAC, 27.3%; Warfarin, 37.4%; P=0.06) were lower in the patients with DOAC-associated ICH. The rates of surgery for hematoma removal were significantly lower in the patients with DOAC-associated ICH (NOAC, 2.3%; Warfarin, 9.7%; P=0.019). Conclusions: This is the largest nationwide study of DOAC-associated ICH in a real-world situation in Japan, revealing that the patients with DOAC-associated ICH had better clinical outcomes compared with warfarin-associated ICH, probably due to milder hemorrhage at admission.

Cerebrovascular disease mortality rates in the population over 50 years of age in Russia and the USA over a 15-year period

Objective: to compare standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) from cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) among populations aged 50 years or older in Russia and the USA; to discuss the reasons for the differences. Patients and methods. The investigators calculated SMRs from CVD for men and women aged 50 years or older in Russia (2000–2014) and the USA (1999 to 2013), which corresponded to the 3- and 4-digit codes of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health-Related Problems, 10t h edition (ICD-10). The European standard (European Standard Population, ESP-2013) was used to standardize SMRs. Results and discussion. The SMRs per 100,000 population from all CVD forms for men aged 50 years or older are 1353 in Russia and 185 in the USA; these for women are 1080 and 175, respectively. The CVD SMRs in percentage of SMRs of all circulatory diseases in Russia were 33.5 for men and 39.6 for women and those in the United States are 14.6 and 19.6, respectively. In Russia, the highest death rates due to CVD fall in the category «Other Cerebrovascular Diseases» (I67) are 35.5% for men and 41.3% for women (about 6% for men and women in the USA); those followed by the rubrics «Cerebral Infarction» (I63) (20.1% for men and 19.2% for women (about 6% for both men and women in the USA)); «Stroke, Not Specified as Hemorrhage or Infarction» (I64) (26% for men and women (about 55% for men and women in the USA)). The death rates from non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (I61–I62) in the USA are 18.9% for men and 16.3% for women; those in Russia are 9.5 and 8.6%, respectively. As for all 3-digit codes, SMRs are higher in Russia than those in the USA, with the exception of «Other Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage» (I62). The reasons for the revealed differences are discussed. The differences in CVD mortality rates in the United States and Russia are linked to a number of reasons, most of which are due to the peculiarities of selecting the underlying cause of death and using the ICD-10 codes.

Роль ранней поэтажной пластики дефекта черепа в реабилитации пациентов, перенесших декомпрессивную трепанацию черепа по поводу нетравматического внутричерепного кровоизлияния

Роль ранней поэтажной пластики дефекта черепа в реабилитации пациентов, перенесших декомпрессивную трепанацию черепа по поводу нетравматического внутричерепного кровоизлияния

POST-NOAC: Portuguese observational study of intracranial hemorrhage on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants.

Background There is a lower reported incidence of intracranial hemorrhage with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants compared with vitamin K antagonist. However, the functional outcome and mortality of intracranial hemorrhage patients were not assessed. Aims To compare the outcome of vitamin K antagonists- and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants-related intracranial hemorrhage. Methods We included consecutive patients with acute non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on oral anticoagulation therapy admitted between January 2013 and June 2015 at four university hospitals. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from individual medical records. Intracranial hemorrhage was classified as intracerebral, extra-axial, or multifocal using brain computed tomography. Three-month functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. Results Among 246 patients included, 24 (9.8%) were anticoagulated with a non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and 222 (90.2%) with a vitamin K antagonists. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants patients were older (81.5 vs. 76 years, p = 0.048) and had intracerebral hemorrhage more often (83.3% vs. 63.1%, p = 0.048). We detected a non-significant trend for larger intracerebral hemorrhage volumes in vitamin K antagonists patients ( p = 0.368). Survival analysis adjusted for age, CHA2DS2VASc, HAS-BLED, and anticoagulation reversal revealed that non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants did not influence three-month mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.39-1.80, p = 0.638). Multivariable ordinal regression for three-month functional outcome did not show a significant shift of modified Rankin Scale scores in non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants patients (odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95%CI 0.55-2.87, p = 0.585). Conclusions We detected no significant differences in the three-month outcome between non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants- and vitamin K antagonists-associated intracranial hemorrhage, despite unavailability of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants-specific reversal agents.

Identification and Cost of Potentially Avoidable Transfers to a Tertiary Care Neurosurgery Service: A Pilot Study.

Thousands of neurosurgical emergencies are transferred yearly to tertiary care facilities to assume a higher level of care. Several studies have examined how neurosurgical transfers influence patient outcomes, but characteristics of potentially avoidable transfers have yet to be investigated. To identify whether potentially avoidable transfers represent a significant portion of transfers to a tertiary neurosurgical facility. In this cohort study, we evaluated 916 neurosurgical patients transferred to a tertiary care facility over a 2-year period. Transfers were classified as potentially avoidable when no neurosurgical diagnostic test, intervention, or intensive monitoring was deemed necessary (n = 180). The remaining transfers were classified as justifiable (n = 736). The main outcomes and measures were age, sex, diagnosis, insurance status, intervention, distance of transfer, length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, mortality, discharge disposition, and cost. Nearly 20% of transfers were identified as being potentially avoidable. Although some of these patients had suffered devastating, irrecoverable neurological insults, many had innocuous conditions that did not require transfer to a higher level of care. Justifiable transfers tend to involve patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage and cranial neoplasm. Both groups were admitted to the intensive care unit at the same rate (approximately 70% of patients). Finally, the direct transportation cost of potentially avoidable transfers was $1.46 million over 2 years. This study identified the frequency and expense of potentially avoidable transfers. There is a need for closer examination of the clinical and financial implications of potentially avoidable transfers. CI, confidence intervalIQR, interquartile rangeJT, justifiable transferOR, odds ratioPAT, potentially avoidable transferUAB, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Noninvasive assessment of the intracranial pressure in non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage

The article describes the modified technique of measuring the diameters of the optic nerve sheath (ONSD) for assessment of the intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The CT scans of 443 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The ONSDs were measured at 3mm behind the globe and at the point where the ophthalmic artery crosses the optic nerve. The ONSD/eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) ratio was calculated. The correlation analysis was performed with the Glasgow Coma Scale score, Hemispheric Stroke Scale score, Glasgow Outcome Score, and invasive ICP readings. ONSD was enlarged in 95% of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage or SAH. Pathological ONSDs were 6.6±0.8mm (cut-off value >5.5mm; p<0.05). ONSD/ETD ratio was 0.29±0.05 against normative 0.19±0.02 (p<0.01) with no correlation with initial Glasgow Coma Scale score or Hemispheric Stroke Scale score. There was an inverse correlation between ONSD/ETD ratio and Glasgow Outcome Score (r=−0.7) and direct correlation with invasive ICP readings. This study provides further evidence that in patients with intracranial hemorrhage and SAH, the presence of ONSD greater than a threshold of 5.5mm is significantly predictive of invasively measured elevated ICP. The prediction of raised ICP can be further refined by measuring ONSD at the point where the optic nerve and the ophthalmic artery cross, and by determining the ratio between the ONSD and ETD.

Blood Pressure Management in Intracranial Hemorrhage: Current Challenges and Opportunities

Non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (i.e. intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH] and subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH]) are more life threatening and least treatable despite being less common than ischemic stroke. Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a strong predictor of poor outcome in both ICH and SAH. Data from a landmark clinical trial INTERACT 2, wherein 2839 participants enrolled with spontaneous ICH were randomly assigned to receive intensive (target systolic BP <140mmHg) or guideline recommended BP lowering therapy (target systolic BP <180mmHg), showed that intensive BP lowering was safe, and more favorable functional outcome and better overall health-related quality of life were seen in survivors in the intensive treatment group. These results contributed to the shift in European and American guidelines towards more aggressive early management of elevated BP in ICH. In contrast, the treatment of BP in SAH is less well defined and more complex. Although there is consensus that hypertension needs to be controlled to prevent rebleeding in the acute setting, induced hypertension in the later stages of SAH has questionable benefits.

The use of combined revascularization surgery for successful elimination of a middle cerebral artery aneurysm

The study objective is to present a clinical case of successful surgical treatment of a complex middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm using various types of bypasses. A 59-year-old female patient presented with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage caused by rupture of a complex right MCA aneurysm. The anatomical features of the MCA aneurysm were identified using computed tomography (CT) in angiographic and 3D modes. The surgical intervention included aneurysmectomy and an end-to-end reanastomosis between the M1 and M2 segments of the MCA followed by an extra-intracranial microvascular anastomosis (EICMA) between the frontal branch of the right superficial temporal artery (STA) and the cortical branch of the right MCA located on the frontal lobe surface. The intraoperative blood flow via an intra-intracranial bypass (IC-IC bypass) was 30 mL/min, and the linear velocity of blood flow (LVBF) was 50 cm/s; the blood flow and LVBF via the STA-MCA bypass were 7-8 mL/min and 15 cm/s, respectively. CT angiography performed on the 1st postoperative day revealed the patency of the IC-IC and STA-MCA bypasses. The patient was discharged in satisfactory condition (Glasgow Outcome Scale -V) 1 month after surgery. Revascularization surgery is the sought-after surgical technique for complex intracranial aneurysms that enables efficient exclusion of the aneurysm from blood flow and prevention of ischemic brain injuries in the carrying artery territory.

Study of clinical and radiological profile and outcome in patients of intracranial hemorrhage.

Background:Incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is twice as high as in Western countries. Prognostic factors for predicting function outcome and mortality play a major role in determining the treatment outcome.Methods:A prospective study of male and female patients ≥12 years with primary nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage were included. Hemorrhage caused by trauma, anticoagulant or thrombolytic drugs, brain tumor, saccular arterial aneurysm or vascular malformation were excluded. Functional outcome of patients was determined by modified Rankin's scale. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and ICH score were calculated for each patient.Results:Hypertension was present in 45 out of 49 patients (92%) with ICH of basal ganglia. Hypertension was significantly associated with worst clinical outcome. Mortality was high if the patient was comatose/stuporous compared to drowsy state (P < 0.0001). Mortality was found to be high when the size exceeded 30 cm3. High ICH score, low GCS score at the time of admission, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, and midline shift were significantly associated with poor clinical outcome.Conclusions:Intracranial hemorrhage can be deleterious if present with low GCS score, high ICH score, intraventricular extension, and midline shift.

Sexual activity as a trigger for intracranial hemorrhage.

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) has been reported in association with sexual activity. A case-series of patients with ICH following sexual activity is presented to further elucidate the role of the physiologic sexual response as a trigger of ICH. A retrospective review of the medical record was performed, identifying patients presenting with ICH temporally related to sexual activity. Clinical and radiographic data were collected and reported. Sixteen patients presented with non-traumatic ICH temporally related to sexual activity. Eight (50%) patients presented with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, four (25%) with angiogram-negative subarachnoid hemorrhage, two (12.5%) with a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, and two (12.5%) with an intracerebral basal ganglia hemorrhage. Overall average age was 49.9 (range, 28-74) years. Sexual activity involved male-female intercourse in 14 (87.5%) patients and masturbation in 2 (12.5%) patients. Sexual-activity-related ICH is rare and includes various etiologies. The human sexual response in associated with dramatic increases in arterial blood pressure, which likely underlies the association.

Abstract 19300: Real-life Evidence of Stroke Prevention in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The RELIEF Study

Introduction: Limited data is available on real-world outcomes in rivaroxaban compared to vitamin K antagonist (VKA) users with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Hypothesis: To assess the effectiveness of newly initiated rivaroxaban or VKA therapy among NVAF patients. Methods: The ‘REal-LIfe Evidence on stroke prevention in patients with atrial Fibrillation’ (RELIEF) study was a retrospective analysis performed in the outpatient setting in Germany using data from the Primary Care Physician panel of a longitudinal electronic medical record database ( IMS Disease Analyzer). Patients had to be ≥18 years of age, newly initiated on rivaroxaban or a VKA (mostly phenprocoumon in Germany) between January 2012 and October 2013, have a diagnosis of NVAF on the day of the first qualifying anticoagulant prescription (index date) or anytime during the 365 days prior, and have follow-up ≥360 days after the index date. Patients were 1:1 propensity score matched. The primary endpoint was the composite of ischemic stroke (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code I63), transient ischemic attack (TIA) (ICD-10 code G45, except G45.3), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICD-10 code I61), other non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICD-10 code I62), systemic embolism (ICD-10 code I74) and myocardial infarction (ICD-10 codes I21, I22). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis on the primary endpoint in the matched cohorts was performed, and the time-to-event was reported as a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 1,039 VKA and 1,039 rivaroxaban users were included and 57 events (20 in rivaroxaban, 37 in VKA) were identified during a one-year follow-up. The incidence of the composite endpoint was significantly lower in rivaroxaban compared to VKA users (1.97 vs. 3.68 events/100 person-years) corresponding to a hazard ratio of 0.536 (95%CI: 0.311-0.923; p=0.0245). Ischemic stroke (0.69 vs. 1.58 events/100 person-years) and TIA (0.59 vs. 1.08 events/100 person-years) were less frequent in the rivaroxaban cohort . Conclusions: The findings indicate that rivaroxaban may be associated with superior effectiveness compared to a VKA when utilized in a real-world setting.

Ventriculostomies without dressings: Low infection rates but room for quality improvement

Objective Ventriculostomies are common procedures for patients with severe neurologic insults including trauma, aneurysmal rupture, tumor, infection or following an operation. Infection secondary to a ventriculostomy, meningitis or ventriculitis, carries a high morbidity and mortality. Insertion practices and maintenance of these interventions was evaluated. Methods A retrospective review was completed of patients receiving ventriculostomies at a single institution from October 2007 through September 2013. Basic patient demographics, methods of insertion and presence of infection were collected and analyzed. Results The mean of age of patients receiving ventriculostomies was 49 years of age and the most common indications for insertion were trauma, infection and nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage (aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), hemorrhagic stroke, arteriovenous malformation (AVM)). External ventricular drains (EVDs) were inserted after minimal hair removal at the time of procedure, tunneling following procedure and securement of EVDs with suture at exit of skin and remainder of drain stapled to scalp without additional dressing applied. The infection rate using this practice was 5.1%. Conclusion Ventriculostomies with minimal hair removal and no dressing have equivalent infection rates with the most recent published national average.

Neuron-Specific Enolase, S100 Calcium-Binding Protein B, and Heat Shock Protein 70 Levels in Patients With Intracranial Hemorrhage.

The authors evaluated neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) levels and their relationships with in-hospital mortality, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores.In total, 35 patients older than 18 years were presented to our emergency department and were diagnosed with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and 32 healthy controls were included. Blood samples were drawn on days 0 and 5.S100 calcium-binding protein B and HSP levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls on days 0 and 5. Neuron-specific enolase levels were higher in patients than in controls on day 0, but there was no significant difference on day 5.S100 calcium-binding protein B was negatively correlated with GCS, whereas it was positively correlated with NIHSS and bleeding volume. There was also a negative correlation between NSE and GCS, but it was not statistically significant. In addition, no significant correlation was found in terms of bleeding volume or NIHSS. Heat shock protein 70 was negatively correlated with GCS and positively correlated with bleeding volume and NIHSS, but these results were not statistically significant. S100 calcium-binding protein B and HSP 70 levels were significantly higher in those who died compared with survivors. The areas under the curve of S100 B, NSE, and HSP 70 for mortality were 0.635, 0.477, and 0.770, respectively.Neuron-specific enolase, S100B, and HSP 70 levels are simple, inexpensive, and objective measures in cases of ICH. These tests can be used to support an assessment for screening ICH patients with clinical scoring systems, such as GCS and NIHSS.

Association between unintentional injury during pregnancy and excess risk of preterm birth and its neonatal sequelae.

The sequelae of preterm births may differ, depending on whether birth follows an acute event or a chronic condition. In a population-based cohort study of 2,711,645 Canadian hospital deliveries from 2003 to 2012, 3,059 women experienced unintentional injury during pregnancy. We assessed the impact of the acute event on pregnancy outcome and on neonatal complications, such as nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, intubation, and death. We adjusted for maternal age, parity, pregnancy conditions, and (for neonates) gestational age in logistic regression analyses. Injury was significantly associated with fetal mortality and early preterm delivery. For preterm infants born to injured women during the hospitalization for injury versus those born to noninjured women, the adjusted odds ratios were 2.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23, 4.17) for neonatal death, 2.44 (95% CI: 1.76, 3.37) for respiratory distress, 2.20 (95% CI: 1.26, 3.84) for nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage, and 2.17 (95% CI: 1.60, 2.96) for intubation, despite more favorable fetal growth in those born to noninjured women (adjusted birth-weight-for-gestational-age z score: 0.154 vs. 0.024, P = 0.041; small-for-gestational-age rate: 4.5% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.001). Our findings suggest that adaptation to the suboptimal intrauterine environment underlying chronic causes of preterm birth may protect preterm infants from adverse sequelae.

A Nationwide Analysis of Outcomes of Weekend Admissions for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Shows Disparities Based on Hospital Teaching Status.

With the "weekend effect" being well described, the Brain Attack Coalition released a set of "best practice" guidelines in 2005, with the goal to uniformly provide standard of care to patients with stroke. We attempted to define a "weekend effect" in outcomes among patients with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) over the last decade, utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. We also attempted to analyze the trend of such an effect. We determined the association of ICH weekend admissions with hospital outcomes including mortality, adverse discharge, length of stay, and cost compared to weekday admissions using multivariable logistic regression. We extracted our study cohort from the NIS, the largest all-payer data set in the United States. Of 485 329 ICH admissions from 2002 to 2011, 27.5% were weekend admissions. Overall, weekend admissions were associated with 11% higher odds of in-hospital mortality. When analyzed in 3-year groups, excess mortality of weekend admissions showed temporal decline. There was higher mortality with weekend admissions in nonteaching hospitals persisted (odds ratios 1.16, 1.13, and 1.09, respectively, for 3-year subgroups). Patients admitted during weekends were also 9% more likely to have an adverse discharge (odds ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.11; P < .001) with no variation by hospital status. There was no effect of a weekend admission on either length of stay or cost of care. Nontraumatic ICH admissions on weekends have higher in-hospital mortality and adverse discharge. This demonstrates need for in-depth review for elucidating this discrepancy and stricter adherence to standard-of-care guidelines to ensure uniform care.

A Long-Term Follow-up of Pontine Hemorrhage With Hearing Loss.

A pontine intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) evokes several neurological symptoms, due to the various nuclei and nerve fibers; however, hearing loss from a pontine ICH is rare. We have experienced a non-traumatic pontine ICH patient, with hearing loss. A 43-year-old male patient had a massive pontine hemorrhage; his brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed the hemorrhage on the bilateral dorsal pons, with the involvement of the trapezoid body. Also, profound hearing loss on the pure-tone audiogram and abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potential were noticed. Fifty-two months of long-term follow-up did not reveal any definite improvement on the patient's hearing ability.

Population-based cohort study on the risk of pneumonia in patients with non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage who use proton pump inhibitors

ObjectivesThis nationwide cohort study investigated the association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) usage and the risk of pneumonia in patients with non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage (ICH).DesignNationwide population-based cohort study.SettingLongitudinal Health Insurance...

Radiological findings of sexual intercourse related emergency department admissions: a first overview.

ObjectivesSexuality is an essential aspect of human function, well-being and quality of life. Many people have sex without complications. However, there are some people who need to seek emergency medical help for related health problems. The aim of this study was to present a first overview of patients who received a radiological examination related to sexual intercourse based emergency department admission.MethodsOur centralized electronic patient record database was reviewed for patients who had been admitted to our emergency department with an emergency after sexual intercourse between 2000 and 2011. The database was scanned for the standardized key words ‘sexual intercourse’ or ‘coitus’ retrospectively. For all patients identified in the electronic patient record database the radiological examinations were searched for manually in our Radiology Information System, and reviewed by three independent radiologists.ResultsOne hundred and twenty nine out of 445 (29,0%) patients received a radiological examination after immediate emergency department admission related to sexual intercourse. Fifty two out of 129 (40.3%) patients had positive radiological findings while 77 (59.7%) did not. Eighty point seven percent (n = 42) of the radiological findings were a sexual intercourse-associated pathology and 19.2% (n = 10) were considered to be incidental findings. Age and male sex positively correlated with radiological imaging workup (p<0.001, respectively p<0.037). The most common sexual intercourse-associated pathology was headache attributed to cerebrovascular insult (n = 21, 40.3%) followed by epididymitis (n = 7, 16.6%) and obstructive uropathy (n = 5, 11.6%). Of the patients with headache attributed to non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage (n = 14, 66.6%) was the most common, followed by intracerebral bleeding (n = 4, 19.0%) and one subdural hemorrhage.ConclusionsPathological findings are manifold. Cerebral imaging is the most common type of radiological imaging performed. Further prospective and standardized studies should be performed to better evaluate the significance of radiological imaging in this patient collective with the aim to gain better knowledge on what patients profit from what type of radiological imaging when presenting with a sexual intercourse related emergency.Advances in KnowledgeThe present study provides a first overview on radiological findings of sexual intercourse related emergency department admissions.

Usefulness of MRI detection of cervical spine and brain injuries in the evaluation of abusive head trauma

In the evaluation of children younger than 3 years with intracranial hemorrhage it can be difficult to determine whether the cause of hemorrhage was traumatic, and if so, whether abusive head trauma (AHT) is a possibility. Cervical spine MRI is not a routine part of the nationally recommended imaging workup for children with suspected abusive head trauma. There is increasing evidence that spinal injuries are found at autopsy or MRI in abused children. However the prevalence of cervical spine injuries in children evaluated for abusive head trauma is unknown. We sought to determine both the incidence and the spectrum of cervical spine and brain injuries in children being evaluated for possible abusive head trauma. We also examined the relationship between cervical and brain MRI findings and selected study outcome categories. This study is a 3-year retrospective review of children evaluated for abusive head trauma. Inclusion criteria were: children with head trauma seen at our institution between 2008 and 2010, age younger than 36 months, availability of diagnostic-quality brain and cervical spine MRI, and child abuse team involvement because abusive head trauma was a possibility. A child abuse pediatrician and pediatric radiologists, all with board certification, were involved in data collection, image interpretation and data analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata v12.1. The study included 74 children (43 boys, 31 girls) with a mean age of 164 days (range, 20-679days). Study outcomes were categorized as: n = 26 children with accidental head trauma, n = 38 with abusive head trauma (n = 18 presumptive AHT, n = 20 suspicious for AHT), and n = 10 with undefined head trauma. We found cervical spine injuries in 27/74 (36%) children. Most cervical spine injuries were ligamentous injuries. One child had intrathecal spinal blood and two had spinal cord edema; all three of these children had ligamentous injury. MRI signs of cervical injury did not show a statistically significant relationship with a study outcome of abusive head trauma or help discriminate between accidental and abusive head trauma. Of the 30 children with supratentorial brain injury, 16 (53%) had a bilateral hypoxic-ischemic pattern. There was a statistically significant relationship between bilateral hypoxic-ischemic brain injury pattern and abusive head trauma (P < 0.05). In addition, the majority (81%) of children with bilateral hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries had cervical injuries. Although detection of cervical spine injuries by MRI does not discriminate between accidental and abusive head trauma, it can help to distinguish a traumatic from non-traumatic intracranial subdural hemorrhage. Cervical MRI should be considered in children with acute intracranial bleeds and otherwise non-contributory history, physical examination and ophthalmological findings. There is a statistically significant relationship between diffuse hypoxic-ischemic brain injury patterns and abusive head trauma. The high incidence of cervical injuries in children with hypoxic-ischemic injuries suggests a causal relationship. Overall, increased utilization of brain and spine MRI in children being evaluated for abusive head trauma can be helpful.