Neurobiology of sleep and circadian rhythms
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Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms · Jan 2017
Circadian variability of the initial Glasgow Coma Scale score in traumatic brain injury patients.
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is the primary method of assessing consciousness after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the clinical standard for classifying TBI severity. There is scant literature discerning the influence of circadian rhythms or emergency department (ED) arrival hour on this important clinical tool. ⋯ Nighttime TBI patients present with decreased GCS scores and are admitted to ICU at higher rates, yet have fewer prior comorbidities and similar systemic injuries. The interaction between nighttime hours and decreased GCS score on ICU admissions has important implications for clinical assessment/triage.