Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2017
Early venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis in combat-related penetrating brain injury.
OBJECTIVE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is independently associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Given the numerous studies of civilian closed-head injury, the Brain Trauma Foundation recommends venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis (VTC) after severe TBI. No studies have specifically examined this practice in penetrating brain injury (PBI). ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Early VTC was safe with regard to the progression of intracranial hemorrhage in this cohort of combat-related PBI patients. Data in this study suggest that this intervention may have been effective for the prevention of DVT or PE but not statistically significantly so. More research is needed to clarify the safety and efficacy of this practice.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Apr 2017
Cognitive Deficits Post Traumatic Brain Injury and Their Association with Injury Severity and Gray Matter Volumes.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to have a substantial though highly variable impact on cognitive abilities. Due to the wide range of cognitive abilities among healthy individuals, an objective assessment of TBI-related cognitive loss requires an accurate measurement of pre-morbid cognitive performance. To address this problem, we recruited 50 adults who sustained a TBI and had performed a cognitive baseline assessment in adolescence as part of the aptitude tests mandated by the Israeli Defense Forces. ⋯ Mathematical reasoning was not affected by TBI. In the TBI patients, non-verbal abstract reasoning post-pre-injury change scores were negatively correlated with the volume of the insula. We conclude that access to pre-morbid neuropsychological data may have facilitated the discovery of the effects of mild TBI on abstract reasoning, as well as a significant correlation between TBI-related decline in this cognitive domain and the volume of the bilateral insula, both of which had not been appreciated in the past.
-
Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, often necessitating neurosurgical intervention to evacuate intracranial bleeding. Since the early 2000s, Cambodia has been undergoing a rapid increase in motorcycle transit and in road traffic accidents, but the prevalence of helmet usage remains low. Epidural hematomas are severe traumatic brain injuries that can necessitate neurosurgical intervention. ⋯ Helmet usage is protective in reducing the severity of presentation and need for neurosurgical intervention for patients with epidural hematoma secondary to motorcycle accidents.
-
Observational Study
Understanding Hospital Volume-Outcome Relationship in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
The hospital volume-outcome relationship in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) population remains unclear. ⋯ High-volume hospitals might be associated with lower in-hospital mortality following severe TBI. However, this mortality reduction was not associated with lower risk of major complications or death following a major complication.
-
Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Effectiveness of 7.5% hypertonic saline in children with severe traumatic brain injury.
Hyperosmolar therapies aim at controlling increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 7.5% hypertonic saline (HTS) on ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in children with severe TBI. ⋯ In our study, 7.5% HTS infusion as a second-tier osmotic therapy was associated with significant reduction of ICP and increase of CPP in children with severe TBI.