Predictors Determining Outcome in Diffuse Brain Injury Patients

ABSTRACT

A retrospective study of predictors determing outcome was carried out in a consecutive series of 104 patients, who had suffered from diffuse brain injury between December 1989 and April 1995, at the Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Hospital. The clinical, laboratory and radiological factors affecting the outcome in patients were analyzed and correlation between the factors and Glasgow outcome scale were statistically assessed. The major results were as follows Significant predictors of poor outcome were old age, time interval within 5 hours from onset to admission, full dilated pupils or anisocoria, lower Glasgow coma scale, seizure, body temperature above 38 degrees C, PaO2 below 70mmHg, blood sugar above 160mg/dl, platelet count less than 100,000/mm3, prothrombin time less than 80%, lesions in more than 2 locations on CT & MRI and operative cases. Glasgow coma scale, age and temperature were demonstrated as the most significant predictors among the above factors by discriminant analysis. 2) Sex , kind of accidents, associated injuries, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, PaCO2, base excess, serum sodium, bleeding time, coagulation time, and skull fracure were not significant influences on the outcome. According to the above results, the predictors of poor outcome should be considered as factors in assessing prognosis for treatment of diffuse brain injury.