MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight subjects (23 complicated mTBI [cmTBI] patients, 12 uncomplicated mTBI [umTBI] patients, and 13 controls) underwent magnetic resonance imaging scan with additional single voxel spectroscopy sequence. Magnetic resonance imaging scans for patients were done at an average of 10 hours (standard deviation 4.26) post injury. The single voxel spectroscopy adjacent to side of injury and noninjury regions were analysed to obtain absolute concentrations and ratio relative to creatine of the neurometabolites. One-way analysis of variance was performed to compare neurometabolite concentrations of the three groups, and a correlation study was done between the neurometabolite concentration and Glasgow Coma Scale.
RESULTS: Significant difference was found in ratio of N-acetylaspartate to creatine (NAA/Cr + PCr) (χ2(2) = 0.22, P Coma Scale with NAA/Cr + PCr (ρ = 0.36, P
OBJECTIVE: To compare mortality and functional outcomes of treatment with 3% HTS vs 20% mannitol among children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) at risk of elevated ICP.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted between June 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022, at 28 participating pediatric intensive care units in the Pediatric Acute and Critical Care Medicine in Asia Network (PACCMAN) and the Red Colaborativa Pediátrica de Latinoamérica (LARed) in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The study included children (aged <18 years) with moderate to severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score ≤13).
EXPOSURE: Treatment with 3% HTS compared with 20% mannitol.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Multiple log-binomial regression analysis was performed for mortality, and multiple linear regression analysis was performed for discharge Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scores and 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended Pediatric Version (GOS-E-Peds) scores. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was also performed using the propensity score method to control for baseline imbalance between groups.
RESULTS: This study included 445 children with a median age of 5.0 (IQR, 2.0-11.0) years. More than half of the patients (279 [62.7%]) were boys, and 344 (77.3%) had severe TBI. Overall, 184 children (41.3%) received 3% HTS, 82 (18.4%) received 20% mannitol, 69 (15.5%) received both agents, and 110 (24.7%) received neither agent. The mortality rate was 7.1% (13 of 184 patients) in the HTS group and 11.0% (9 of 82 patients) in the mannitol group (P = .34). After adjusting for age, sex, presence of child abuse, time between injury and hospital arrival, lowest GCS score in the first 24 hours, and presence of extradural hemorrhage, no between-group differences in mortality, hospital discharge PCPC scores, or 3-month GOS-E-Peds scores were observed.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study of children with moderate to severe TBI, the use of HTS was not associated with increased survival or improved functional outcomes compared with mannitol. Future large multicenter randomized clinical trials are required to validate these findings.
AIMS: This study was performed to evaluate and compare the oxidative changes in patients with varying severity of HI in the early posttraumatic period using erythrocyte indicators.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Head injury patients were divided into two groups based on their Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores recorded at admission to the hospital on the day of trauma itself. Accordingly, the study included 30 severe HI (SHI, GCS scores 8 or less) and 25 Mild HI (MHI, GCS scores more than 8) patients. Thirty age and sex-matched healthy individuals were included in this comparative study as controls.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from controls and HI patients (within 24 h of trauma onset). Erythrocyte oxidative changes were studied by estimating thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR).
RESULTS: Erythrocyte TBARS levels were significantly higher and GSH levels were significantly lower in SHI and MHI patients as compared to controls. The SOD activity was significantly increased only in SHI patients and remained unchanged in MHI patients as compared to controls. As compared to MHI patients, erythrocyte TBARS levels were significantly higher, GSH levels were significantly lower and SOD activity was markedly elevated in SHI patients. Erythrocyte GR activity did not show significant changes in both groups of patients as compared to controls.
CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress is evident in both SHI and MHI patients in the early posttraumatic period as reflected by their erythrocyte indicators, but the severity of oxidative stress has varied relatively with the severity of head injury. The present findings provide indications that early oxidative changes could influence the neurological recovery of HI patients.
METHODS: Twenty-nine children in each group, matched for age, sex and ethnicity, were assessed using the Glasgow outcome Scale (GOS), Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III), Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC), Wide Range Assessment of Learning and Memory (WRAML) and a standardised neurological examination 6 months post-injury. Parental reporting of pre- and post-injury behaviour was documented using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL).
RESULTS: Seven (24.1%) children with sCHI and three (10.3%) orthopaedic controls had residual motor deficits. Three (10.3%) children with sCHI and none in the other groups faced problems with independent ambulation. Twenty-seven (93.1%) of those with sCHI and all children in the other groups had GOS scores of good recovery or moderate disability. Twenty-two (81.5%) sCHI, five (18.5%) mCHI and one (3.7%) orthopaedic control reported a deterioration in school performance. MANOVAS identified a significant injury group effect for performance skills (P = 0.007), verbal skills (P = 0.002), memory and learning (P = 0.001) and motor skills (P = 0.001). Repeated measures ANOVA for pre- and post-injury CBCL scores showed significant differences related to somatic complaints (P = 0.004), problems of socialising (P = 0.003), delinquency (P = 0.004), aggressiveness (P = 0.010), thought (P < 0.001) and attention (P < 0.001). Post-hoc univariate analysis showed the significant differences were between that of the sCHI children and the other two groups.
CONCLUSION: Although most sCHI children seemed to have made good physical recovery, there were cognitive, motor, memory and learning difficulties and behavioural problems concomitant with a deterioration in school performance compared with those with lesser or no head injury. This highlights the need for better integrated rehabilitation services to enable a gradual return into mainstream school.