Evaluation of the GCS-Pupils Score for PrOgnosis in trauMatic brAin injury- The COMA Study.

OBJECTIVES: Glasgow Coma Scale-Pupils (GCS-P) score has been found to be strongly related to in-hospital mortality in retrospective studies. We hypothesized that GCS-P would be better prognosticator than Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: In this prospective, multicentric, observational study, GCS and GCS-P scores were noted in adult TBI patients at ICU admission. Demographic variables, relevant clinical history, clinical/radiological findings and ICU complications were also noted. Extended Glasgow Outcome scale was noted at hospital discharge and at 6 months post-injury. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to estimate the odds for poor outcome adjusted for covariates. Sensitivity, specificity, area under curve (AUC) and odds ratio are reported for poor outcome at estimated cutoff point. RESULTS: A total of 573 patients were included in this study. The predictive power for mortality, shown by the AUC, was 0.81 [95% CI: 0.77-0.85] for GCS and 0.81 [95% CI: 0.77-0.86] for GCS-P score, both being comparable. Similarly, the predictive ability for outcome at discharge and 6 months, the AUC-ROC for both GCS and GCS-P were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: GCS-P is a good predictor of mortality and poor outcome. However, the predictive performance of GCS and GCS-P for in-hospital mortality and functional outcome at discharge and at 6 months remains comparable.

Utility and Predictive Value of CHIIDA Score in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The Children's Intracranial Injury Decision Aid (CHIIDA) is a tool designed to stratify children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The aim of this study was to assess the utility and predictive value of CHIIDA in the assessment of the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission in pediatric patients with mTBI. METHODS: This prospective observational study included 425 children below 18 years of age admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care hospital with mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale 13 to 15). The primary outcome was the composite of neurosurgical intervention, intubation for more than 24 hours for TBI, or death from TBI. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios were calculated at CHIIDA scores 0 and 2. RESULTS: Among 425 children with mTBI, 210 (49%) had a CHIIDA score 0, 16 (4%) scored 2 points, and 199 (47%) scored more than 2 points. Thirty-six (8.47%) patients experienced the primary outcome, and there were 3 deaths. A cutoff CHIIDA >0 to admit to ICU had a sensitivity of 97.22% (95% confidence interval [CI], 97.05%-97.39%) and a negative predictive value of 99.54% (95% CI, 99.50%-99.56%). A cutoff of score >2 had a sensitivity of 97.22% (95% CI, 97.05%-97.39%), and negative predictive value of 99.56% (95% CI, 99.54%-99.59%). The post-test probability at cutoff score of 0 and 2 was 16.65% and 16.27%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CHIIDA score does not serve as reliable triage tool for identifying children with TBI who do not require ICU admission.

A prospective randomized double-blind study comparing dexmedetomidine vs. combination of midazolam-fentanyl for tympanoplasty surgery under monitored anesthesia care.

BACKGROUND: Analgesia and sedation are usually required for the comfort of the patient and surgeon during tympanoplasty surgery done under local anesthesia. In this study, satisfaction scores and effectiveness of sedation and analgesia with dexmedetomidine were compared with a combination of midazolam-fentanyl. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety patients undergoing tympanoplasty under local anesthesia randomly received either IV dexmedetomidine 1 µg kg(-1) over 10 min followed by 0.2 µg kg(-1)h(-1) infusion (Group D) or IV midazolam 0.06 mg kg(-1) plus IV fentanyl 1 µg kg(-1) over 10 min (Group MF) followed by normal saline infusion at 0.2 ml kg(-1)h(-1). Sedation was titrated to Ramsay sedation score (RSS) of three. Vital parameters, rescue analgesics (fentanyl 1 µg kg(-1)) and sedatives (midazolam 0.01 mg kg(-1)), patient and surgeon satisfaction scores were recorded. RESULTS: Patient and surgeon satisfaction score was better in Group D than Group MF (median interquartile range (IQR) 9 (8-10) vs. 8 (6.5-9.5) and 9 (8.5-9.5) vs. 8 (6.75-9.25), P = 0.0001 for both). Intraoperative heart rate and mean arterial pressure in Group D were lower than the baseline values and the corresponding values in Group MF (P < 0.05). Percentage of patients requiring rescue fentanyl was higher in Group MF than Group D (40% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.01). One patient in Group D while four in Group MF (8.8%) required rescue sedation with midazolam (P > 0.17). Seven patients in Group D had dry mouth vs. none in Group MF (P = 0.006). One patient in Group D had bradycardia with hypotension which was effectively treated. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine is comparable to midazolam-fentanyl for sedation and analgesia in tympanoplasty with better surgeon and patient satisfaction. Hemodynamics need to be closely monitored.

Fluoroscopy guided cervical plexus block for carotid endarterectomy - a case report.

SUMMARY: Carotid endarterectomy(CEA) is being increasingly performed under regional anaesthesia supplemented with sedation, the world over. Deep or superficial cervical plexus blocks or a combination of both have been found to be equally effective. Various imaging modalities like fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), CT-fluoroscopy, ultrasound etc have been used to increase the success rates of the technique and to reduce the rate of complications associated with the block. These are especially useful given the varying landmarks quoted by various authors as also inter-individual differences in anatomy. We present a case report of how fluoroscopy aided us in administering cervical plexus block.