Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2014
The Parkland Protocol's Modified Berne-Norwood Criteria Predict Two Tiers of Risk for TBI Progression.
As a basis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after traumatic brain injury (TBI), we have previously published an algorithm known as the Parkland Protocol. Patients are classified by risk for spontaneous progression of hemorrhage with chemoprophylaxis regimens tailored to each tier. We sought to validate this schema. ⋯ Tukey's post-hoc test showed the low-risk progression rate to be significantly different than both the moderate- and high-risk arms; no difference was noted between the moderate- and high-risk arms themselves. These criteria are a valid tool for classifying TBI patients into two categories of risk for spontaneous progression. This supports tailored chemoprophylaxis regimens for each arm.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2014
Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury Alters Ethanol Consumption and Sensitivity.
Altered alcohol consumption patterns after traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to significant impairments in TBI recovery. Few preclinical models have been used to examine alcohol use across distinct phases of the post-injury period, leaving mechanistic questions unanswered. To address this, the aim of this study was to describe the histological and behavioral outcomes of a noncontusive closed-head TBI in the mouse, after which sensitivity to and consumption of alcohol were quantified, in addition to dopaminergic signaling markers. ⋯ Intake across 7 days of consumption was significantly reduced in TBI mice compared with sham controls, paralleling the reduction in alcohol consumption observed clinically in the initial post-injury period. These data demonstrate that TBI increases sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation and affects downstream signaling mediators of striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission while altering ethanol consumption. Examining TBI effects on ethanol responsitivity will improve our understanding of alcohol use post-TBI in humans.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2014
Factors Associated with Hemispheric Hypodensity after Subdural Hematoma following Abusive Head Trauma in Children.
Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a unique form of pediatric TBI with increased mortality and neurologic sequelae. Hemispheric hypodensity (HH) in association with subdural blood after AHT has been described. Though risk factors for HH are not understood, we hypothesized that risk factors could be identified. ⋯ Surgical intervention did not appear to protect against development of HH. A variety of insults associated with ischemia, including intracranial hypertension, ICP-directed therapies, hypoxia, hypotension, and cardiac arrest, occurred in the children who developed HH. Given the morbidity and mortality of this condition, larger studies to identify mechanisms leading to the development of HH and mitigating clinical approaches are warranted.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2014
Elevated cell-free plasma DNA level as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
Trauma is the leading cause of death in individuals less than 45 years old worldwide, and up to 50% of trauma fatalities are because of brain injury. Prediction of outcome is one of the major problems associated with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and research efforts have focused on the investigation of biomarkers with prognostic value after TBI. Therefore, our aim was to investigate whether cell-free DNA concentrations correlated to short-term primary outcome (survival or death) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores after severe TBI. ⋯ Plasma DNA concentrations at the chosen cutoff point (≥171,381 kilogenomes-equivalents/L) predicted mortality with a specificity of 90% and a sensitivity of 43%. Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated plasma DNA levels were independently associated with death (p<0.001). In conclusion, high cell-free DNA concentration was a predictor of short-term mortality after severe TBI.