Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
-
Review
Unique considerations in the assessment and management of traumatic brain injury in older adults.
The age-specific incidence of traumatic brain injury in older adults is rising in high-income countries, mainly due to an increase in the incidence of falls. The severity of traumatic brain injury in older adults can be underestimated because of a delay in the development of mass effect and symptoms of intracranial haemorrhage. Management and rehabilitation in older adults must consider comorbidities and frailty, the treatment of pre-existing disorders, the reduced potential for recovery, the likelihood of cognitive decline, and the avoidance of future falls. ⋯ Although prognostication is uncertain, unsubstantiated nihilism (eg, early withdrawal decisions from the assumption that old age necessarily leads to poor outcomes) should be avoided. The absence of management recommendations for older adults highlights the need for stronger evidence to enhance prognostication. In the meantime, decision making should be multidisciplinary, transparent, personalised, and inclusive of patients and relatives.
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2025
Meta AnalysisRisk factors and outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common complication in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, which increases morbidity and negatively affects outcomes. Risk factors and outcomes in these patients remain controversial. The aim of the present study is to explore the risk factors and clinical outcomes of patients with VAP and TBI. ⋯ Male gender, H-AIS ≥ 3, blood transfusion on admission, and barbiturate infusion were risk factors for VAP. In patients with VAP, ICU stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, hospital stay were significantly increased.
-
Review
Management of post-injury anticoagulation in the traumatic brain injury patient: A scoping review.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among trauma patients. The care of these patients continues to be a complex endeavor with prevention of associated complications, often requiring as much attention as that of the treatment of the primary injury. Paramount among these are venous thromboembolic events (VTE) due to their high incidence, additive effect on the risk of morbidity and mortality, and the careful balance that must be utilized in their diagnosis and treatment to prevent progression of the brain injury itself. ⋯ The timing of prophylaxis remains important, as the risk of VTE increases with each day that prophylaxis is held. Consensus findings favor initiation within 24-72 h, in the absence of documented progression, life threatening bleeding, or need for major surgical intervention. Despite available data, there continues to be significant variability in practice patterns which we hope to address with this review.
-
Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisAccuracy of GFAP and UCH-L1 in predicting brain abnormalities on CT scans after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In recent years, blood biomarkers including glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) have shown a promising ability to detect head CT abnormalities following TBI. This review aims to combine the existing research on GFAP and UCH-L1 biomarkers and examine how well they can predict abnormal CT results after mild TBI. ⋯ Present results suggest that GFAP and UCH-L1 have the clinical potential for screening mild TBI patients for intracranial abnormalities on head CT scans.
-
Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisSurgical intervention in traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of decompressive craniotomy.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered a major cause of death globally, resulting from trauma. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) may improve functional outcomes in patients with TBI and its associated complications. This study was designed to determine safety and efficacy of DC in improving clinical outcomes in TBI patients compared to standard therapy. ⋯ This study presents evidence suggesting that DC is linked to a lower mortality rate, decreased ICP, and shorter hospital stays among patients with moderate to severe TBI. However, it did not show a significant impact on improving favorable clinical outcomes.