Perioperative management of patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and pretraumatic oral warfarin

Objective To study perioperative management in treatment of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients with pretraumatic anticoagulation therapy of oral warfarin.Methods 10 patients of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage with pretraumatic anticoagulation therapy of oral warfarin received vitamin K,FFP and PCC

Early antiplatelet therapy used for acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage

In this editorial we comment on the article published by Zhang et al in the recent issue of World Journal of Clinical Cases.We evaluate their claims on the benefit of use of Aspirin in the early management of patients with ischemic stroke.We also comment on their contention of using aspirin in the early management of patients with intracranial hemorrhage,a practice not seen in modern medicine.Large clinical trials such as the International Stroke Trial and the Chinese Acute Stroke Trial have shown the benefit of Aspirin use within 48 h of patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.The findings were corroborated in the open-label trial performed by Zhang et al in a smaller sample group of 25 patients where they showed improvement in functional scores at 90 days without an increase in adverse events.As such,this intervention is also recommended by the American Heart Association stroke guidelines from 2021.With regard to Intracranial hemorrhage,traditional practice has been to discontinue or avoid antiplatelet therapy in these patient groups.However,no studies have been done to evaluate this management strategy that is more borne out of the mechanism behind Aspirin’s effect on the coagulation pathway.Zhang et al evaluate the benefits of Aspirin on patients with low-volume intracranial hemorrhage,i.e.,less than 30 mL on computed tomo-graphy imaging,and show no increase in mortality.The caveat of this finding is that all outcomes were pooled into one group for results,and the number of patients was low.While more studies with larger patient groups are required,the data from Zhang et al suggests that patients with small-volume intracranial hemorrhages may benefit from Aspirin administration in the acute phase of management.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of intracranial hemorrhage after spinal surgery

BACKGROUND Intracranial hemorrhage after spinal surgery is a rare and devastating complication.AIM To investigate the economic burden,clinical characteristics,risk factors,and mechanisms of intracranial hemorrhage after spinal surgery.METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 1,2015,to December 31,2022.Patients aged≥18 years,who had undergone spinal surgery were included.Intracranial hemorrhage patients were selected after spinal surgery during hospitalization.Based on the type of spinal surgery,patients with intracranial hemorrhage were randomly matched in a 1:5 ratio with control patients without intracranial hemorrhage.The patients'pre-,intra-,and post-operative data and clinical manifestations were recorded.RESULTS A total of 24472 patients underwent spinal surgery.Six patients(3 males and 3 females,average age 71.3 years)developed intracranial hemorrhage after posterior spinal fusion procedures,with an incidence of 0.025%(6/24472).The prevailing type of intracranial hemorrhage was cerebellar hemorrhage.Two patients had a poor clinical outcome.Based on the type of surgery,30 control patients were randomly matched in 1:5 ratio.The intracranial hemorrhage group showed significant differences compared with the control group with regard to age(71.33±7.45 years vs 58.39±8.07 years,P=0.001),previous history of cerebrovascular disease(50%vs 6.7%,P=0.024),spinal dura mater injury(50%vs 3.3%,P=0.010),hospital expenses(RMB 242119.1±87610.0 vs RMB 96290.7±32029.9,P=0.009),and discharge activity daily living score(40.00±25.88 vs 75.40±18.29,P=0.019).CONCLUSION The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage after spinal surgery was extremely low,with poor clinical outcomes.Patient age,previous stroke history,and dura mater damage were possible risk factors.It is suggested that spinal dura mater injury should be avoided during surgery in high-risk patients.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation scores as predictors for progressive hemorrhage and neurological prognosis following traumatic brain injury

Coagulation abnormalities, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation （DIC）, are associated with progressive hemcrrhagic injury （PHI） following head trauma. However, the exact relationship between coagulopathy and PHI remains unclear. The present study utilized a scoring system defined by the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis to investigate whether a high DIC score is predictive for PHI. This study was a multicenter prospective design involving four hospitals, a 6-month observation, and follow-up. Of 352 traumatic brain injury （TBI） patients, serial CT scan indicated approximately one third of patients developed progressive hemorrhage, which was most frequently observed in the frontal, temporal, and orbitofrontal lobes of patients with brain contusion. PHI-positive patients exhibited poor prognosis, as indicated by prolonged length of hospital/intensive care unit stay and high mortality. More importantly, a DIC score after TBI, as well as patient age and sex, could serve as predictors for PHI. In addition, DIC scores were closely associated with injury severity. Therefore, the DIC scoring system facilitated early PHI diagnosis in TBI patients, and DIC scores might serve as a valuable predictor for TBI patients with PHI.

《A management algorithm for patients with intracranial pressure monitoring:the Seattle International Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Consensus Conference(SIBICC)》解读

2019年国际专家团基于Delphi方法的反复调查和现场讨论,完成了"A management algorithm for patients with intracranial pressure monitoring:the Seattle International Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Consensus Conference(SIBICC)"(简称"共识"),旨在引导对仅行颅内压监测的颅脑创伤患者实施合理的分级管理。本文对"共识"所涉及的"三阶梯颅内压管理流程"、各级治疗措施的应用原则,以及镇静治疗和颅内压监测停撤的判断流程进行解读,以期将国际颅脑创伤神经重症研究进展介绍给读者。

Risk factors for delayed intracranial hemorrhage secondary to ventriculoperitoneal shunt:A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Delayed intracranial hemorrhage(DICH),a potential complication of ventriculoperitoneal(VP)shunts,has been associated with high mortality,but its risk factors are still unclear.AIM To investigate the risk factors of DICH after VP shunts.METHODS We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of DICH and non-DICH adult patients with VP shunts between January 2016 and December 2020.RESULTS The 159 adult VP shunt patients were divided into 2 groups according to the development of DICH:the DICH group(n=26)and the non-DICH group(n=133).No statistically significant difference was found in age,sex,laboratory examination characteristics or preoperative modified Rankin Scale(mRS)score between the DICH and non-DICH groups(P>0.05);however,a history of an external ventricular drain(EVD)[P=0.045;odds ratio(OR):2.814;95%CI:1.024-7.730]and postoperative brain edema around the catheter(P<0.01;OR:8.397;95%CI:3.043-23.171)were associated with a high risk of DICH.A comparison of preoperative mRS scores between the DICH group and the non-DICH group showed no significant difference(P=0.553),while a significant difference was found in the postoperative mRS scores at the 3-mo follow-up visit(P=0.024).CONCLUSION A history of EVD and postoperative brain edema around the catheter are independent risk factors for DICH in VP shunt patients.DICH patients with a high mRS score are vulnerable to poor clinical outcomes.

Intracranial Hemorrhage in Newborn with TAR Syndrome—A Feared Complication

The thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR) syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by bilateral absence of radius with the presence of both thumbs and thrombocytopenia, many times associated with cardiac anomalies, intolerance or allergy to cow’s milk and phocomelia. Imaging study is important for the correct diagnosis at birth and documentation of one of the diagnosis criteria (absence of radius) in prenatal care. The main hematologic symptoms and the most feared of them, intracranial bleeding, occurs when platelets levels are below 10,000/mm3, which is more common during the first months. Therefore, imaging study is crucial to quickly identify complications and correctly manage the case. In this case report, the patient had upper limps alterations at birth and at first week presented seizures, with transfontanellar ultrasound and head computed tomography without contrast demonstrating intracranial hemorrhage. Laboratory results and imaging review were able to diagnose TAR syndrome. The patient was treated with platelets transfusion and thrombocytopenia was solved. She is currently under specialized medical care, with no neurological deficits and showing satisfactory development.

CT examination, clinical situation and experimental characteristics of infants with intracranial hemorrhage induced by delayed vitamin K deficiency

BACKGROUND: Delayed vitamin K deficiency is characterized by acute onset, severe illness and high fatality rate. 33%-50% survivors accompany with other various nervous system sequelas. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of intracranial hemorrhage in time become a key factor for improving healing rate and reducing fatality rate and incidence of sequela. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical situation, experimental characteristics, CT examination and terminative characteristics of infants with intracranial hemorrhage induced by delayed vitamin K deficiency. DESIGN: Case analysis. SETTING: Department of Pediatrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17 infants with intracranial hemorrhage induced by delayed vitamin K deficiency aged 1-3 months including 11 boys and 6 girls were selected from Department of Pediatrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University from January 1994 to December 2005. All infants had drowsiness, rejective milk, spiting milk, gaze of both eyes, tic, coma, full anterior fontanelle, high muscular tension and cerebral hernia, etc. Experimental examination demonstrated that infants had anemia at various degrees; prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were prolonged; platelet count was normal. CT examination indicated that screenages of subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, cerebral parenchyma hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrage were changed. Hemorrhage was stopped by the application of vitamin K. All patients provided informed consent. METHODS: ① Clinical situation and physical sign of infants were observed after hospitalization and scanned with rapid spiral CT scanning system. The thickness and average space of layers were 8-10 mm and the scanning time was 5 s with window width of 30-80 Hu and window position of 28-35 Hu. ② After hospitalization, four items of blood coagulation was measured with Futura meter and biochemical indexes of blood, such as serum calcium, serum alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin, were detected with Roche Modular PPI automatic biochemistry analyzer. ③ After hospitalization, infants were given 5-10 mg vitamin K1 for 3-5 days, and then, they were transfused with 10-15 mL/kg fresh plasma or whole blood for 1-3 times and received other relative therapies. Therapeutic effects were evaluated based on clinical diagnosis and criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Clinical situation, physical sign and CT examination; ② results of experimental examination; ③ treatment and termination. RESULTS: A total of 17 infants with intracranial hemorrhage were involved in the final analysis. ① Clinical situation, physical sign and CT examination: All infants had pale facial expression and full or bossing anterior fontanelle. Among them, 13 infants had drowsiness or dysphoria, 12 rejective milk or emesis, 11 tic, 13 injection site hemorrhage, 2 gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 3 cerebral hernia, 11 high muscular tension and 6 cervical rigidity. CT examination demonstrated that most infants (88%, 15/17) had subarachnoid hemorrhage; 10 (59%, 10/17) had subdural hematoma; 8 (47%, 8/17) had cerebral parenchyma hemorrhage; few had intraventricular hemorrhage. In addition, results of CT examination also indicated that 17 infants had intracranial hemorrhage. Hemorrhage sites of 12 infants were equal to or more than 2, which was accounted for 70% (12/17); meanwhile, partial cases accompanied with a large area of focus of cerebral infarction or cerebral hypoxia-ischemia lesion. ② Results of experimental examination: There were 6 infants with elongation of prothrombin time, 5 with partial elongation of prothrombin time, 4 with decrease of serum calcium (1.69-2.25 mmol/L), 3 with increase of serum alkaline phosphatase, 3 with increase of total bilirubin, 3 with increase of direct bilirubin, and 3 with increase of indirect bilirubin. ③ Treatment and termination: After treatment, 12 infants were cured well, 3 improved, 1 given up and 1 died. Later, ten infants received CT re-examination at 3 months after treatment. The results indicated that 3 infants had simple subarachnoid hemorrhage and 4 had subarachnoid hemorrhage accompanying with subdural hematoma. Their focuses were absorbed well and not show as obvious sequela. One infant had subdural hematoma accompanying with subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral parenchyma hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrage and cerebral hypoxia ischemia, and then, after hematom absorption, obvious cerebral malacia focus, hydrocephalus, brain atrophy and inferior accumulating fluid of dura mater were observed; 2 had subdural hematoma accompanying with subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral hypoxia ischemia, and then, after bleeding absorption, brain atrophy was changed remarkably; changes of hydrocephalus were observed in one infant. CONCLUSION: ① Symptoms of pale facial expression, full or bossing anterior fontanelle, drowsiness and dysphoria are observed in infants with delayed vitamin K deficiency . ② Experimental indexes demonstrate that prothrombin time and partial prothrombin time are prolonged, and numbers of infants having decrease of serum calcium are in the third place. ③ Poly-intracranial hemorrhage is a notable characteristic of CT examination. Partial infants who have poly-intracranial hemorrhage always accompany with cerebral hypoxia-ischemia lesion or cerebral infarction. Clinical situation and prognosis of infants who have a large area of intracranial hemorrhage and cerebral hypoxia-ischemia changes are poor; however, those of infants who have simple subarachnoid hemorrhage or combination of subarachnoid hemorrhage with subdural hematoma are well. ④ Effect of vitamin K on this kind of disease is well.

Clinical significance of large decompressive craniectomy to control intractable increased intracranial pressure in patients with traumatic brain injury

Objective To investigate the role of decompressive craniectomy (DC) to decrease intractable intracranial hypertension(ICH) due to diffuse brain swelling and / or cerebral edema after severe traumatic brain injury and the time window of DC to affect on prognosis. Methods The clinical record of 132 patients who underwent DC for posttraumatic intractable ICH in our hospital from July 2003 to

Rhombencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes with hydrocephalus and intracranial hemorrhage:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Listeria monocytogenes(L. monocytogenes), a Gram-positive facultatively intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of human listeriosis. Listeria infection is usually found in immunocompromised patients, including elderly people, pregnant women, and newborns, whereas it is rare in healthy people. L.monocytogenes may cause meningitis, meningoencephalitis, and some very rare and severe complications, such as hydrocephalus and intracranial hemorrhage,which cause high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Up to now, reports on hydrocephalus and intracranial hemorrhage due to L. monocytogenes are few.CASE SUMMARY We herein report a case of rhombencephalitis caused by L. monocytogenes in a 29-year-old man. He was admitted to the hospital with a 2-d history of headache and fever. He consumed unpasteurized cooked beef two days before appearance.His medical history included type 2 diabetes mellitus, and contaminated beef intake 2 d before onset. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed Gram-positive rod infection, and blood culture was positive for L. monocytogenes. Magnetic resonance imaging findings suggested rhombencephalitis and hydrocephalus.Treatment was started empirically and then modified according to the blood culture results. Repeated CT images were suggestive of intracranial hemorrhage.Although the patient underwent aggressive external ventricular drainage, he died of a continuing deterioration of intracranial conditions.CONCLUSION Hydrocephalus, intracranial hemorrhage, and inappropriate antimicrobial treatment are the determinations of unfavorable outcomes.

A Retrospective Analysis of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Children with Hemophilia A

To investigate the incidence,risk factors,clinical manifestations and prognosis of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH)in children with hemophilia A in a center of China, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 126 children with hemophilia A at our hospital in recent 4 years.Thirty-six children with hemophilia A (including 19 severe cases,and 17 moderate cases complicated with joint diseases)received low dose factor Ⅷ (FⅧ) prophylaxis,and none of them had ICH.However,13 cases of hemophilia A not given prophylaxis were complicated with ICH (12 severe cases,and 1 moderate case)and demonstrated an incidence of 10.3%(13/126)in all patients,and 28.6%(12/42)in severe cases.Of the 13 cases,9 severe ICH cases had a definite history of head injury,accounting for 69.2%.Headache was common in children >3 years,but somnolence,irritability, gaze or convulsions in children <3 years.The most common findings of cranial CT scan included intracranial hematoma (9/13),and less commonly observed were subependymal hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage.After administration of FⅧ,all patients survived.Hematoma of 6 cases was observed during CT reexamination after 1-3 months. During the follow-up period,only one case had slight activity limitation on one side of the limb,but steadily recovered.Besides the decreased concentration of FⅧ,trauma is the most common risk factor of ICH in children with hemophilia A.The active treatment can improve the prognosis of ICH in children with hemophilia A.

Efficacy of pipeline endovascular device and Willis stent graft in the treatment of traumatic pseudo intracranial aneurysms

Objective:To investigate the advantages and effects of pipeline embolization device(PED)or Willis stent,in treating traumatic pseudoaneurysms.Traumatic pseudo intracranial aneurysms(TPIA)can be caused by either direct trauma or iatrogenic injuries,usually caused by direct arterial wall injury or shear due to acceleration.We describe a series of patients with TPIA who received a PED or Willis stent.Materials and methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on nine patients with TPIA admitted to the southern hospital of Southern Medical University from December 2017 to June 2019,of whom four were treated with PED and five were implanted with six Willis covered stents.The occlusive rate and complication in the two kinds of stents were compared by postoperative follow-up and modified rankin score(MRS).Results:After the implantation of PED,four patients showed an immediate stagnation of blood flow or a decreased filling in aneurysms,three out of four patients exhibited complete occlusion,and the remaining patient had nearly complete occlusion.Four out of five cases of Willis stent implantation were associated with immediate complete occlusion of aneurysms,and the modified rankin score of these patients ranged from 0 to 1.One patient died of unassociated complications.Conclusion:For different types of TPIA in the internal carotid artery(ICA),PED and Willis stents provide significant advantages in treatment,with fewer postoperative complications and prognosis well.

Subdural empyema complicated with intracranial hemorrhage in a postradiotherapy nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient: A case report and review of literature

The prevalence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) is higher in southern China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan than in other areas in the world. Radiotherapy is an important part of treatment for NPC patients, especially those with stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ disease. Subdural empyema is a rare but life-threatening complication in postradiotherapy NPC patients which should be paid more attention. Here, we present the case of a 64-year-old female postradiotherapy NPC patient with subdural empyema complicated with intracranial hemorrhage. She was treated by burr-hole surgery but unfortunately died because of recurrent intracranial hemorrhage. The mechanisms potentially underlying the formation of subdural empyema in postradiotherapy NPC patients and the surgical strategies that can be used in these patients are discussed in this report.

Asymptomatic traumatic rupture of an intracranial dermoid cyst:A case report

BACKGROUND Previous studies reported that most of the intracranial dermoid cyst ruptures were spontaneous,and only a few were traumatic,with asymptomatic much rarer than the symptomatic ruptures.Hence,how to deal with the asymptomatic traumatic rupture of intracranial dermoid cyst remains a challenge in the clinic.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old man was accidentally diagnosed with intracranial dermoid cyst through a cranial computed tomography(CT)scan due to a car accident.A mixed-density lesion with fat and a calcified margin was observed in the midline of the posterior fossa,accompanied with lipid droplet drifts in brain sulci,fissures,cisterns,and ventricles.After 1 wk of conservative observation,no change was observed on the updated cranial CT scan.After 2 wk of conservative observation,magnetic resonance imaging examination confirmed that the lesion was a traumatic rupture of a posterior fossa dermoid cyst with lipid droplet drifts.As the patient exhibited no adverse symptoms throughout the 2 wk,a 6-mo follow-up visit was arranged for him instead of aggressive treatment.Nonetheless,the patient did not show any abnormal neurological symptoms in the 6 mo of follow-up visits.CONCLUSION Asymptomatic traumatic rupture of intracranial dermoid cyst could be just followed or treated conservatively rather than treated aggressively.

Correlation between the skull base fracture and the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in patients w让h traumatic brain injury

Purpose:A head injury(HI)may cause a skull fracture,which may or may not be associated with injury to the brain.In essence,a skull base fracture(SBF)is a linear fracture at the base of the skull.Loss of consciousness and Glasgow coma score(GCS)may vary depending on an associated intracranial pathology.The pathomechanism is believed to be caused by high energy impact directly to the mastoid and supraorbital bone or indirectly from the cranial vault.Aim of this study is to define the correlation between SBF and intracranial hemorrhage(ICH)in patients with HI.Methods:Analysis of data obtained from a retrospective review of medical records and from a systematized database pertaining to diagnostic criteria of SBF patients based only on clinical symptoms associated with ICH caused by HI treated in the Department of Neurosurgery at Dr.Hasan Sadikin Hospital,Bandung,Indonesia from January 1,2012 to December 31,2017.The exclusion criteria in eluded age less than 15 years and no head computed tomography(CT)scan examination provided.Results:A total of 9006 patients were in eluded into this study in which they were divided into 3 groups:group 1,HI with no ICH;group 2,HI with single ICH and group 3,HI with multiple ICH.In all the SBF cases,SBF at anterior fossa accounted for 69.40%of them,which were mostly accompanied with mild HI(64.70%).Severity of HI and site of SBF correlated with the existence of traumatic brain lesions on CT scan,thus these factors were able to predict whether there were traumatic brain lesions or not.Most of the patients with epidural hemorrhage(EDH)has single traumatic lesion on CT scan,whereas most of the patients with cerebral contusion(CC)has multiple traumatic lesions on CT scan.On patients with both traumatic brain injury and SBF,most of the patients with anterior fossa SBF has EDH;whereas most of the patients with middle fossa SBF were accompanied with CC.Surgery was not required for most of the patients with SBF.Conclusion:SBFs were strongly correlated with traumatic ICH lesions patients with anterior fossa SBF were more likely to suffer EDH whereas with middle fossa SBF were more likely to suffer CC.

Intracranial hemorrhage in patients treated with bevacizumab:Report of two cases

Treatment with bevacizumab,an antiangiogenic agent,in patients with metastatic or unresectable colorectal cancer was approved less than 4 years ago in Japan.Bevacizumab improves the survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer;however,it may lead to complications such as bleeding,which are sometimes fatal.Bevacizumab should be administered only after careful consideration because the potential risks of therapy outweigh its benefits.Therefore,pharma-ceutical companies do not recommend bevacizumab therapy for patients with brain metastases.While some reports support the cautious use of bevacizumab,others report that it is not always necessary to prohibit its use in patients with metastases to the central nervous system(CNS),including the brain.Thus,bevacizumab therapy in colorectal cancer patients with brain metastases is controversial,and it is unclear whether brainmetastases are a risk factor for intracranial hemor-rhage during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)therapy.We report a 64-year-old man and a 65-year-old man with recurrent colorectal cancer with-out brain metastases;these patients developed multifocal and solitary intracranial hemorrhage,respectively,after the administration of bevacizumab.Our findings suggest that intracranial hemorrhage can occur even if the patient does not have brain metastases prior to bevacizumab treatment and also suggest that brain metastases are not a risk factor for intracranial hemor-rhage with bevacizumab treatment.These findings also question the necessity of excluding patients with brain metastases from clinical trials on anti-VEGF therapy.

Risk factors for corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of acute traumatic brain injury

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction may lead to the occurrence of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency can easily occur after traumatic brain injury,but few studies have examined this occurrence.A multicenter,prospective,cohort study was performed to evaluate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the incidence of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury.One hundred and forty patients with acute traumatic brain injury were enrolled from the neurosurgical departments of three tertiary-level hospitals in China,and the critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency incidence,critical-illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency-related risk factors,complications,and 28-day mortality among these patients was recorded.Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency was diagnosed in patients with plasma total cortisol levels less than 10μg/dL(275.9 nM)on post-injury day 4 or when serum cortisol was insufficiently suppressed(less than 50%)during a dexamethasone suppression test on post-injury day 5.The results demonstrated that critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency occurred during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury in 5.6%of patients with mild injury,22.5%of patients with moderate injury,and 52.2%of patients with severe injury.Traumatic brain injury-induced critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency was strongly correlated to injury severity during the sub-acute stage of traumatic brain injury.Traumatic brain injury patients with critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency frequently presented with hemorrhagic cerebral contusions,diffuse axonal injury,brain herniation,and hypotension.Differences in the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia,gastrointestinal bleeding,and 28-day mortality were observed between patients with and without critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury.Hypotension,brain-injury severity,and the types of traumatic brain injury were independent risk factors for traumatic brain injury-induced critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.These findings indicate that critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency is common during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury and is strongly associated with poor prognosis.The dexamethasone suppression test is a practical assay for the evaluation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function and for the diagnosis of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency in patients with traumatic brain injury,especially those with hypotension,hemorrhagic cerebral contusions,diffuse axonal injury,and brain herniation.Sub-acute infection of acute traumatic brain injury may be an important factor associated with the occurrence and development of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University,China in December 2011(approval No.201189).

Corticospinal tract recovery in a patient with traumatic transtentorial herniation

Transtentorial herniation is one of the causes of motor weakness in traumatic brain injury. In this study, we report on a patient who underwent decompressive craniectomy due to traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Brain CT images taken after surgery showed intracerebral hemorrhage in the left fronto-temporal lobe and left transtentorial herniation. The patient presented with severe paralysis of the right extremities at the time of intracerebral hemorrhage onset, but the limb motor function recovered partially at 6 months after onset and to nearly normal level at 27 months. Through diffusion tensor tractography, the left corticospinal tract was disrupted below the cerebral peduncle at 1 month after onset and the disrupted left corticospinal tract was reconstructed at 27 months. These findings suggest that recovery of limb motor function in a patient with traumatic transtentorial herniation can come to be true by recovery of corticospinal tract.

Neuroprotective measures in children with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury(TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children. Severe TBI is a leading cause of death and often leads to life changing disabilities in survivors. The modern management of severe TBI in children on intensivecare unit focuses on preventing secondary brain injury to improve outcome. Standard neuroprotective measures are based on management of intracranial pressure(ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure(CPP) to optimize the cerebral blood flow and oxygenation, with the intention to avoid and minimise secondary brain injury. In this article, we review the current trends in management of severe TBI in children, detailing the general and specific measures followed to achieve the desired ICP and CPP goals. We discuss the often limited evidence for these therapeutic interventions in children, extrapolation of data from adults, and current recommendation from paediatric guidelines. We also review the recent advances in understanding the intracranial physiology and neuroprotective therapies, the current research focus on advanced and multi-modal neuromonitoring, and potential new therapeutic and prognostic targets.

Clinical Outcome of Decompressive Craniectomy Operation for the Management of Acute Traumatic Brain Injury

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Decompressive Craniectomy (DC) on the postoperative clinical state of the patient to define a line of management of these cases. Take in considerations the surrounding circumstances of the patient till he reaches the ER in Egypt and the hospital resources. Methods: 200 patients suffering from acute traumatic brain injury causing DCL resulted from different pathologies causing increased ICP. In group A, patients with acute TBI were managed by surgical intervention in the form of Decompressive Craniectomy and in the control group B, patients were managed by medical treatment. The age range was from 8 to 65 with no history of associated medical disorders with exclusion criteria of non-traumatic causes of increased ICP. Results: Data collected showed: male to female ratio of 3:1. The most common mode of injury was falling from height. Mean time from injury to operative intervention was 4 hours. The leading initial symptoms were DCL. In group A the overall mortality was 60%, functional recovery rate was 30%, and left severely disabled or vegetative was 10%. 50% of the cases had associated injury. 20% suffered from post-operative complications. Conclusion: DC is the ideal solution for the management of acute TBI with persistent increased ICP when the other medical management fails, given an early intervention and taking into consideration other factors affecting surgical outcome.