Prognostic Factors in Head Trauma Patients

BACKGROUND: Predicting outcome after head trauma is of great interest for clinicians, especially in the early stage. It may provide a basis for therapeutic strategies and may be helpful to select different approaches. But, reliable outcome prediction from head trauma is still unresolved. The purpose of this study is to determine which clinical parameters can be used effectively after an event of head trauma. METHODS: In our study we studied head trauma patients who came to the Emergency department of Korea University Medical School Anam Hospital from the 1st of June 1998 to 31th of January 2000, looked into medical records, and studied the records in a retrospective manner. The head trauma patients were divied into two group, a) favourable outcome-related and b) unfavourable outcome-related. The two groups were then subdivided according to their sex, age, the mechanism of their injury, the time they came in, alcohol drinking, loss of consciousness, vomiting, pupil change, previous medical illness, associated injuries and were seperately compared and analyzed. And the factors affecting Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) were analyzed in the parameters of Injury Severity Score(ISS), Revised Trauma Score(RTS), Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), motor score of GCS(mGCS), Marshall Computed Tomographic Classification(MCTC). Statistically, t-test and Mann-Whistney rank sum test using Jandelsigma were used in the study and then were assessed in Chi-square analysis methods. The statistical significance was determined at a level of p less than 0.05. RESULTS: The total of the head trauma patients, added up to 129 people, 99:males and 30:females. Among this sum, 99 patients showed a favourable outcome and 30 patients showed an unfavourable outcome at discharge. The causes of injury included: automobile accident in 42 cases; falls in 26; assaults in 6; and accidental-slipping injury etc in 55 cases. 12 patients had bilateral unreactive pupils on admission, 2 had unilateral reactive pupils, and 113 had bilateral reactive pupils. Compared to the favourable outcome-related head trauma group, the unfavourable outcome-relared head trauma group had more history of loss of consciousness, unreactive pupils and tended to have previous medical illness. There were no difference in alcohol related, vomiting and associated injuries between two groups(favourable outcome-related head trauma group: unfavourable outcome-related head trauma group). Substantial difference were observed in GCS, mGCS, ISS, RTS, MCTC between two groups. Patients with unfavourable outcome had a significantly higher ISS, lower RTS, lower mGCS. After MCTC, patients with mass lesion had unfavourable outcome than patients with diffuse injury. CONCLUSION: Age, history of loss of consciousness, previous medical illness and unreactive pupil change are predictives of outcomes of head trauma patients with respect to Glasgow outcome scale. The lower GCS, lower RTS, lower mGCS, higher ISS, mass lesion based on CT scan provide poorer prognostic outcome in patients with head trauma. Use of prognostic factors thorough complete history taking and physical examination would provide useful prognostic information and facilitate improved therapeutic decision-making in head-injuried patients.

Alcohol Related Trauma Patients

BACKGROUND: We studied the incidence of trauma caused by alcohol related accidents, and the effects that has on the occurrence, the extent, and the outcome to the patient. METHODS: In our study we studied trauma patients excluding pediatric patients(15 years old and under) who came to the Emergency department of Korea University Medical School Anam Hospital from the 1st of january 1996 to 30th of June 1996, looked into their medical records, and studied the records in a retrospective manner. The trauma patients were divided into two groups, a) alcohol-related and b) alcohol-non-related. The two groups were then subdivided according to their sex, age, the time they came in, the anatomical part of the trauma, the mechanism of their injury, the extent of the injury, the length of their hospital stay, the length of their ED stay and were seperately compared and analysed. Statistically, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis using SAS were used in the study and then was assessed in Chi-square analysis methods. RESULTS: The total of the trauma patients, added up to 832 people, 577: male and 255: female. Among this sum, 16 trauma patients were alcohol related(male:127 & female 36). 115 people were in the age group of 21-40. Compared to the non-alcohol related trauma group, the alcohol-related group had more facial & scalp injuries and tended to come in the hours between 0-6 AM. The cause of the injuries were mossy by fast-fighting and suicide, compared to mostly accidental-slipping injuries in the non alcohol-related group. There were no difference in the degree of the injury(ISS) and the length of hospital stay between the two groups, whereas the length of the stay at the ED was longer alcohol-related trauma patients. CONCLUSION: Alcohol related trauma patients were mostly in their 20s and 30s, came to the hospital at a late time it the reason for their visit were mossy because of fist fighting. In the Emergency department, because prompt and correct diagnosis is quite difficult to make in this group, their ED stay tended to be longer. We can conclude that measuring the blood alcohol level of these patients, continuing the psychological therapy and educating people is needed.