Contusion index: its importance in management of traumatic brain contusions

ABSTRACT

To describe the changes of Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS] and Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] after surgical and / or conservative management of patients with contusions based on Contusion Index [C. I.]. Descriptive Study. Department of Neurosurgery, Dow University of Health Sciences/ Civil Hospital, Karachi. Two years and five months between August 2006 and January 2009. 50 patients of ages between 6 to 75 years, including both sexes were evaluated on the basis of contusion index as determined by computerized tomographic scan [C.T. Scan] findings and their Glasgow outcome scores were established. Patients with contusion index 0-3 should be conservatively managed. Patients with contusion index 6 should be given the benefit of some sort of surgical procedure first, which showed best results with surgical management and poor results with conservative management. Patients with contusion index 9, no matter what, always show a poor outcome. We recommend that a future study should be done to arrive at a decision regarding conservative versus surgical management of patients with cerebral contusions based on Contusion Index which will help us avoid unnecessary surgeries and vice versa