The impact of oral anticoagulants on the characteristics of subdural hematomas and other brain lesions in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Background and aim: The aim of the study was to determine the impact of prior anticoagulant treatment on the characteristics of intracranial hematomas. Methods: We included in this retrospective study 135 patients who were diagnosed with subdural hematoma in the context of traumatic brain injury. We recorded the demographic and clinical data, the paraclinical examinations and the characteristics of subdural hematoma evidenced by preoperative computed tomography (CT). We also reported the other brain injuries, entailed by primary and secondary lesions, as described by CT. Results: The anticoagulation therapy was recorded in 35 patients, at the moment of diagnosis. Acute subdural hematoma was recorded in 89 (65.9%) patients, 21 (60%) of these had anticoagulation therapy on admission. There were 46 (34.1%) patients with chronic subdural hematoma, 14 (40%) of these were on anticoagulant therapy. The midline shift was significantly moved in patients with anticoagulation therapy. The thickness of the subdural hematoma was significantly higher in patients with anticoagulation. We did not find any significant association of the other brain lesions (cranial fracture, extradural hematoma, intraparenchymal hematoma, nor intracranial hypertension, brain herniation, brain swelling), and the presence of anticoagulation therapy. Conclusion: The study showed that anticoagulants significantly influence some neuroimaging aspects of the SDH in head trauma.

Identifying predictive factors for mortality in patients with TBI at a neurosurgery department.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have severe consequences in most cases. Many therapeutic and neurosurgical strategies have been improved to optimize patient outcomes. However, despite adequate surgery and intensive care, death can still occur during hospitalization. TBI often results in protracted hospital stays in neurosurgery departments, indicating the severity of brain injury. Several factors related to TBI are predictive of longer hospital stays and in-hospital mortality rates. This study aimed to identify predictive factors for intrahospital days of death due to TBI. This was a longitudinal, retrospective, analytical, observational study that included 70 TBI-related deaths admitted to the Neurosurgery Clinic in Cluj-Napoca for a period of four years (January 2017 to December 2021) using a cohort model. We identified some clinical data related to intrahospital death after TBI. The severity of TBI was classified as mild (n=9), moderate(n=13), and severe (n=48) and was associated with significantly fewer hospital days (p=0.009). Patients with associated trauma, such as vertebro-medullary or thoracic trauma, were more likely to die after a few days of hospitalization (p=0.007). Surgery applied in TBI was associated with a higher median number of days until death compared to conservative treatment. A low GCS was an independent predictive factor for early intrahospital mortality in patients with TBI. In conclusion, clinical factors such as the severity of injury, low GCS, and polytrauma are predictive of early intrahospital mortality. Surgery was associated with prolonged hospitalization.

Predictive factors of 30-day mortality in patients with traumatic subdural hematoma.

In the present study, we aimed to assess and analyze the predictive factors of 30-day mortality in patients with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) who underwent surgical intervention after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We conducted a retrospective study, which included a cohort of 135 consecutive patients diagnosed with ASDH who required surgical evacuation. We assessed the demographic and clinical data, the imaging data of the hematoma described by preoperative computed tomography (CT) and the type of neurosurgical intervention for hematoma evacuation via either craniectomy or craniotomy. The patients were followed up for 30 days after head trauma and the occurrence of death was noted. Death was recorded in 63 (46.6%) patients at 30 days after TBI. There was a significant number of deceased patients who underwent craniectomy (71.4%). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was statistically significantly lower in patients who died (P<0.001), with a cut-off value of ≤12, under which the probability of death increased [AUC 0.830 (95% CI, 0.756-0.889); Se 90.48% (95% CI, 80.4-96.4); Sp 66.7% (95% CI, 54.6-77.3); P<0.001]. The midline shift was statistically significantly higher in deceased patients (P=0.005), with a cut-off value of >7 mm, over which the probability of death increased [AUC 0.637 (95% CI, 0.550-0.718); Se 38.1% (95% CI, 26.1-51.2); Sp 86.1% (95% CI, 75.9-93.1); P=0.003]. There were significantly more deceased patients with intracranial hypertension, brain herniation, brain swelling, intraparenchymal hematoma and cranial fracture. In multivariate analysis only a Glasgow score ≤12 and a midline shift >7 mm were independently linked to mortality. Brain herniation and intraparenchymal hematoma were associated with a higher probability of dying, but the statistical threshold was slightly exceeded. The type of neurosurgery performed for patients with ASDH was not an independent predictive factor for 30-day mortality. However, craniectomy was associated with a higher mortality in patients with ASDH.