Inaccuracy and misjudged factors of Glasgow Coma Scale scores when assessed by inexperienced physicians

Verbal Glasgow Coma Scale as predictor of persistent disorder of consciousness: Insights for improving accuracy and reliability in clinical practice

This brief report discusses the relationship between verbal function, disorders of consciousness, and neurological follow-up after acute brain injury. It provides valuable insights for improving the accuracy and reliability of Verbal Glasgow Coma Scale scoring in clinical practice. The report addresses the need for standardized training and underlines the importance of physiological stabilization before assessment. Clarity in communication, recognition of non-verbal cues, and serial assessments are emphasized as critical factors to reduce the Verbal Glasgow Coma Scale inconsistencies. It also promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural sensitivity to refine the Verbal Glasgow Coma Scale evaluation, improving the prediction of long-term neurological outcomes after acute brain injury and optimizing effective rehabilitation programs. Possible strategies to implement in the routine clinical practice the provided tips are discussed.

Quantitative Electroencephalography Analysis for Improved Assessment of Consciousness Levels in Deep Coma Patients Using a Proposed Stimulus Stage

"Coma" is defined as an inability to obey commands, to speak, or to open the eyes. So, a coma is a state of unarousable unconsciousness. In a clinical setting, the ability to respond to a command is often used to infer consciousness. Evaluation of the patient's level of consciousness (LeOC) is important for neurological evaluation. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most widely used and popular scoring system for neurological evaluation and is used to assess a patient's level of consciousness. The aim of this study is the evaluation of GCSs with an objective approach based on numerical results. So, EEG signals were recorded from 39 patients in a coma state with a new procedure proposed by us in a deep coma state (GCS: between 3 and 8). The EEG signals were divided into four sub-bands as alpha, beta, delta, and theta, and their power spectral density was calculated. As a result of power spectral analysis, 10 different features were extracted from EEG signals in the time and frequency domains. The features were statistically analyzed to differentiate the different LeOC and to relate with the GCS. Additionally, some machine learning algorithms have been used to measure the performance of the features for distinguishing patients with different GCSs in a deep coma. This study demonstrated that GCS 3 and GCS 8 patients were classified from other levels of consciousness in terms of decreased theta activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to classify patients in a deep coma (GCS between 3 and 8) with 96.44% classification performance.

External validation of the Glasgow coma scale-pupils in low- to middle-income country patients with traumatic brain injury: Could “motor score-pupil” have higher prognostic value?

Background:

The objective of this study is to validate the admission Glasgow coma scale (GCS) associated with pupil response (GCS-P) to predict traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient’s outcomes in a low- to middle-income country and to compare its performance with that of a simplified model combining the better motor response of the GCS and the pupilar response (MS-P).

Methods:

This is a prospective cohort of patients with TBI in a tertiary trauma reference center in Brazil. Predictive values of the GCS, GCS-P, and MS-P were evaluated and compared for 14 day and in-hospital mortality outcomes and length of hospital stay (LHS).

Results:

The study enrolled 447 patients. MS-P demonstrated better discriminative ability than GCS to predict mortality (AUC 0.736 × 0.658; P < 0.001) and higher AUC than GCS-P (0.736 × 0.704, respectively; P = 0.073). For hospital mortality, MS-P demonstrated better discrimination than GCS (AUC, 0.750 × 0.682; P < 0.001) and higher AUC than GCS-P (0.750 × 0.714; P = 0.027). Both scores were good predictors of LHS (r2 = 0.084 [GCS-P] × 0.079 [GCS] × 0.072 [MS-P]).

Conclusion:

The predictive value of the GCS, GCS-P, and MS-P scales was demonstrated, thus contributing to its external validation in low- to middle-income country.

Evaluating the Reliability of Neurological Pupillary Index as a Prognostic Measurement of Neurological Function in Critical Care Patients

Background

Neurological pupil index (NPi) is a novel method of assessing pupillary size and reactivity using pupillometry to reduce human subjectivity. This paper aims to evaluate the use of NPi as a potential prognostic tool in a broad population of neurocritical care patients by observing the correlation between NPi, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).

Methods

Our data was collected from 194 patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU) at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), as determined by the power calculation. We utilized the Kolmogorov-Smirnova and Shapiro-Wilk normality tests with Lilliefors significance correction. Pearson product-moment correlation was performed between average final NPi and final GCS. Multi-variate linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the association and predictive capabilities of NPi on GCS and discharge mRS. Finally, we evaluated whether age, ethnicity, sex, length of stay (LOS), or discharge location were significantly associated with NPi. 

Results

We observed a significant correlation between final GCS and NPi (r=0.609, p<0.001). Our regression analysis revealed that NPi significantly predicted GCS and mRS scores; however, no associations were found between age, ethnicity, sex, LOS, or discharge location. Limitations of our study include a single institutional study with a lack of disease subtyping and the inability to quantify the predictive ability of NPi.

Conclusion

The analysis revealed a strong correlation between final GCS and average final NPi. NPi was also able to significantly predict GCS and mRS scores. The correlation between NPi and established methods to determine neurological function, such as mRS and GCS, suggests that NPi can be a good prognostication tool for neurological diseases.

Opportunities to Improve Palliative Care Delivery in Trauma Critical Illness

BACKGROUND

Despite recommendations to integrate palliative care (PC) into care for critically ill trauma patients, little is known about current PC practices in trauma care to inform opportunities for improvement.

OBJECTIVE

Describe patterns of PC delivery among a large, critically ill trauma cohort.

SETTING/SUBJECTS

Retrospective cohort study of adult (≥18 years) trauma patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) at an urban, level one trauma center in the United States from March 1, 2017 to March 1, 2019.

METHODS

We linked the electronic medical record with the institutional trauma registry. PC process measures included a PC consult order, advance care planning (ACP) note, and hospice use. Unadjusted results are reported for the total population, decedents, and subgroups at risk for poor outcomes (age ≥55 years, Black race ≥1 pre-existing comorbidity, and severe injury) after trauma.

RESULTS

Among 1309 eligible admissions, 902 (68.9%) were male, 640 (48.9%) were Black, and 654 (50.0%) were ≥55 years old. Eighty-one (6.2%) patients received a PC consult order, 66 (5.0%) had an ACP note, and 13 (1.1%) were discharged to hospice. Among decedents (N = 91; 7%), 28 (30.8%) received a PC consult order and 36 (39.6%) had an ACP note. For high-risk subgroups, PC consult orders and ACP note rates ranged from 4.5-12.8% and 4.5-11.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

PC delivery was rare among this cohort, including those at high risk for poor outcomes. Urgent efforts are needed to identify barriers to and develop targeted interventions for high quality PC delivery in trauma ICU care.

Analysis of Consciousness Level Using Galvanic Skin Response during Therapeutic Effect

The neurological status of patients in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) is determined by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Patients in coma are thought to be unaware of what is happening around them. However, many studies show that the family plays an important role in the recovery of the patient and is a great emotional resource. In this study, Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) signals were analyzed from 31 patients with low consciousness levels between GCS 3 and 8 to determine relationship between consciousness level and GSR signals as a new approach. The effect of family and nurse on unconscious patients was investigated by GSR signals recorded with a new proposed protocol. The signals were recorded during conversation and touching of the patient by the nurse and their families. According to numerical results, the level of consciousness can be separated using GSR signals. Also, it was found that family and nurse had statistically significant effects on the patient. Patients with GCS 3,4, and 5 were considered to have low level of consciousness, while patients with GCS 6,7, and 8 were considered to have high level of consciousness. According to our results, it is obtained lower GSR amplitude in low GCS (3, 4, 5) compared to high GCS (7, 8). It was concluded that these patients were aware of therapeutic affect although they were unconscious. During the classification stage of this study, the class imbalance problem, which is common in medical diagnosis, was solved using Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE), Adaptive Synthetic Sampling (ADASYN) and random oversampling methods. In addition, level of consciousness was classified with 92.7% success using various decision tree algorithms. Random Forest was the method which provides higher accuracy compared to all other methods. The obtained results showed that GSR signal analysis recorded in different stages gives very successful GCS score classification performance according to literature studies.

Using components of the Glasgow coma scale and Rotterdam CT scores for mortality risk stratification in adult patients with traumatic brain injury: A preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Rotterdam Computed Tomography Score (RCTS) are widely used to predict outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The objective of this study was to determine whether the GCS and RCTS components can be used to predict outcomes in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (IH) after TBI.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between May 2009 and July 2017, 773 patients with IH after TBI were retrospectively reviewed. Data on initial GCS, RCTS according to initial brain CT, and status at hospital discharge and last follow-up were collected. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between GCS and RCTS components with outcomes after TBI.

RESULTS

Among the 773 patients, the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 14.0%. Variables independently associated with outcomes were the verbal (V-GCS) and motor components of GCS (M-GCS), epidural mass lesion (E-RCTS) and intraventricular or subarachnoid hemorrhage components of RCTS (H-RCTS) (p < 0.0001). The new TBI score was obtained with the following calculation: [V-GCS + M-GCS] - [E-RCTS + H-RCTS].

CONCLUSION

The new TBI score includes both clinical status and radiologic findings from patients with IH after TBI. The new TBI score is a useful tool for assessing TBI patients with IH in that it combines the GCS and RCTS components that increases area under the curve for predicting in-hospital mortality and unfavorable outcomes and eliminates the paradoxical relationship with outcomes which was observed in GCS score. It allows a practical method to stratify the risk of outcomes after TBI.

Modified Glasgow Coma Scale Using Serum Factors as a Prognostic Model in Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability. This study evaluated a possible relationship between serum factors at admission and the outcome of TBI. We propose a statistically validated scale for patients with TBI that combines serum factors and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).

METHODS

Between May 2011 and July 2016, 219 patients underwent decompressive craniectomy for TBI. We assessed laboratory data on admission, and correlations with GSC and Glasgow Outcome Scale were investigated. The modified GCS was developed from a multivariable logistic regression model, which was validated with the backward stepwise method.

RESULTS

Of 219 patients with TBI enrolled in our study, 175 were men (79.9%) and 44 were women (20.1%) with a mean age of 49.1 ± 11.5 years. Initial serum values of hemoglobin, platelets, prothrombin time, and lactate dehydrogenase were associated with in-hospital mortality. The factor score was derived by adding the following points: hemoglobin (≥13.0 g/dL = 0, <13.0 g/dL = 1), platelets (≥150 × 10³/mm³ = 0, <150 × 10³/mm³ = 1), prothrombin time (<13.2 seconds = 0, ≥13.2 seconds = 1), and lactate dehydrogenase (<271 U/L = 0, ≥271 U/L = 1). The modified GCS score (GCS score [range, 6-15] - FS [range, 0-4]) was calculated.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified GCS score using serum factors extended the information provided about patient outcomes to be comparable to more complex methods. The modified GCS score may be useful to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with TBI.

Implications from China patient safety incidents reporting system

Objective

We aimed to explain the operational mechanism of China National Patient Safety Incidents Reporting System, analyze patterns and trends of incidents reporting, and discuss the implication of the incidents reporting to improve hospital patient safety.

Design

A nationwide, registry-based, observational study design.

Data source

The database of China National Patient Safety Incidents Reporting System.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures of this study included the temporal, regional, and hospital distribution of the reports, as well as the incident type, location, parties, and possible reasons for frequently occurring incidents.

Results

During 2012–2017, 36,498 patient safety incidents were reported. By analyzing the time trends, we found that there was a significant upward trend on incidents reporting in China. The most common type of incidents was drug-related incidents, followed by nursing-related incidents and surgery-related incidents. The three most frequent locations of incident occurrence were Patient’s Room (65.4%), Ambulatory Care Unit (8.4%), and Intensive Care Unit (7.4%). The majority of the incidents involved nurses (40.7%), followed by physicians (29.5%) and medical technologist (13.6%). About 44.4% of the incidents were attributed to the junior staff (work experience ≤5 years). In addition, incidents triggered by the senior staff (work experience >5 years) were more often associated with severe patient harm.

Conclusion

To strengthen the incidents reporting system and generate useful evidence through learning from incidents reporting will be important to China’s success in improving the nation’s patient safety status.

Reliability of Glasgow Coma Score in pediatric trauma patients

BACKGROUND

Discordant assessments of Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) following trauma can result in inappropriate triage. This study sought to determine the reliability of prehospital GCS compared to emergency department (ED) GCS.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of traumas from 01/2000 to 12/2015 at a Level-1 pediatric trauma center. We evaluated reliability between field and ED GCS using Pearson's correlation. We ascertained the difference between prehospital and ED GCS (delta-GCS). Associations between patient characteristics and delta-GCS were modeled using Poisson and linear regression, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates.

RESULTS

We identified 5306 patients. Pearson's correlation for GCS measurements was 0.57 for ages 0-3, and 0.67-0.77 for other age groups. Mean delta-GCS was highest for age<3years (0.95, SD=2.4). Poisson regression demonstrated that compared to children 0-3years, higher age was associated with lower delta-GCS (RR 0.65 95% CI 0.56-0.74). Linear regression showed that in those with a delta-GCS, more severe injury (higher ISS, worse ED disposition) and older age were associated with a negative change, signifying decline in score.

CONCLUSIONS

GCS is generally unreliable in pediatric trauma patients aged 0-3years, particularly the verbal score component. This may impact accuracy of triage priority for pediatric trauma patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, Prognostic.

Altered Mental Status: Current Evidence-based Recommendations for Prehospital Care

Introduction

In the United States emergency medical services (EMS) protocols vary widely across jurisdictions. We sought to develop evidence-based recommendations for the prehospital evaluation and treatment of a patient with an acute change in mental status and to compare these recommendations against the current protocols used by the 33 EMS agencies in the State of California.

Methods

We performed a literature review of the current evidence in the prehospital treatment of a patient with altered mental status (AMS) and augmented this review with guidelines from various national and international societies to create our evidence-based recommendations. We then compared the AMS protocols of each of the 33 EMS agencies for consistency with these recommendations. The specific protocol components that we analyzed were patient assessment, point-of-care tests, supplemental oxygen, use of standardized scoring, evaluating for causes of AMS, blood glucose evaluation, toxicological treatment, and pediatric evaluation and management.

Results

Protocols across 33 EMS agencies in California varied widely. All protocols call for a blood glucose check, 21 (64%) suggest treating adults at <60mg/dL, and half allow for the use of dextrose 10%. All the protocols recommend naloxone for signs of opioid overdose, but only 13 (39%) give specific parameters. Half the agencies (52%) recommend considering other toxicological causes of AMS, often by using the mnemonic AEIOU TIPS. Eight (24%) recommend a 12-lead electrocardiogram; others simply suggest cardiac monitoring. Fourteen (42%) advise supplemental oxygen as needed; only seven (21%) give specific parameters. In terms of considering various etiologies of AMS, 25 (76%) give instructions to consider trauma, 20 (61%) to consider stroke, and 18 (55%) to consider seizure. Twenty-three (70%) of the agencies have separate pediatric AMS protocols; others include pediatric considerations within the adult protocol.

Conclusion

Protocols for patients with AMS vary widely across the State of California. The evidence-based recommendations that we present for the prehospital diagnosis and treatment of this condition may be useful for EMS medical directors tasked with creating and revising these protocols.

Factors Influencing the Reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) characterizes patients with diminished consciousness. In a recent systematic review, we found overall adequate reliability across different clinical settings, but reliability estimates varied considerably between studies, and methodological quality of studies was overall poor. Identifying and understanding factors that can affect its reliability is important, in order to promote high standards for clinical use of the GCS.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to identify factors that influence reliability and to provide an evidence base for promoting consistent and reliable application of the GCS.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL from 1974 to July 2016. Studies assessing the reliability of the GCS in adults or describing any factor that influences reliability were included. Two reviewers independently screened citations, selected full texts, and undertook data extraction and critical appraisal. Methodological quality of studies was evaluated with the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist. Data were synthesized narratively and presented in tables.

RESULTS

Forty-one studies were included for analysis. Factors identified that may influence reliability are education and training, the level of consciousness, and type of stimuli used. Conflicting results were found for experience of the observer, the pathology causing the reduced consciousness, and intubation/sedation. No clear influence was found for the professional background of observers.

CONCLUSION

Reliability of the GCS is influenced by multiple factors and as such is context dependent. This review points to the potential for improvement from training and education and standardization of assessment methods, for which recommendations are presented.

The Glasgow Coma Scale and evidence-informed practice: a critical review of where we are and where we need to be

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to critically consider the evidence since the Glasgow Coma Scale was first launched, reflecting on how that evidence has shaped practice. It illustrates the lack of clarity and consensus about the use of the tool in practice and draws upon existing evidence to determine the route to clarity for an evidence-informed approach to practice.

BACKGROUND

The Glasgow Coma Scale has permeated and influenced practice for over 40 years, being well-established worldwide as the key tool for assessing level of consciousness. During this time, the tool has been scrutinised, evaluated, challenged and re-launched in a plethora of publications. This has led to an insight into the challenges, and to some extent the opportunities, in using the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice but has also resulted in a lack of clarity.

DESIGN

This is a discursive paper that invites readers to explore and arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice and is based on searches of Scopus, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Science Direct and CINAHL databases.

RESULTS

While the Glasgow Coma Scale has been rivalled by other tools in an attempt to improve upon it, a shift in practice to those tools has not occurred. The tool has withstood the test of time in this respect, indicating the need for further research into its use and a clear education strategy to standardise implementation in practice.

CONCLUSION

Further exploration is needed into the application of painful stimuli in using the Glasgow Coma Scale to assess level of consciousness. In addition, a robust educational strategy is necessary to maximise consistency in its use in practice.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The evidence illustrates inconsistency and confusion in the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice; this has the potential to compromise care and clarity around the issues is therefore necessary.

Progesterone neuroprotection: The background of clinical trial failure

Since the first pioneering studies in the 1990s, a large number of experimental animal studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective efficacy of progesterone for brain disorders, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, this steroid has major assets: it easily crosses the blood-brain-barrier, rapidly diffuses throughout the brain and exerts multiple beneficial effects by acting on many molecular and cellular targets. Moreover, progesterone therapies are well tolerated. Notably, increased brain levels of progesterone are part of endogenous neuroprotective responses to injury. The hormone thus emerged as a particularly promising protective candidate for TBI and stroke patients. The positive outcomes of small Phase 2 trials aimed at testing the safety and potential protective efficacy of progesterone in TBI patients then provided support and guidance for two large, multicenter, randomized and placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials, with more than 2000 TBI patients enrolled. The negative outcomes of both trials, named ProTECT III and SyNAPSE, came as a big disappointment. If these trials were successful, progesterone would have become the first efficient neuroprotective drug for brain-injured patients. Thus, progesterone has joined the numerous neuroprotective candidates that have failed in clinical trials. The aim of this review is a reappraisal of the preclinical animal studies, which provided the proof of concept for the clinical trials, and we critically examine the design of the clinical studies. We made efforts to present a balanced view of the strengths and limitations of the translational studies and of some serious issues with the clinical trials. We place particular emphasis on the translational value of animal studies and the relevance of TBI biomarkers. The probability of failure of ProTECT III and SyNAPSE was very high, and we present them within the broader context of other unsuccessful trials.

The reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) provides a structured method for assessment of the level of consciousness. Its derived sum score is applied in research and adopted in intensive care unit scoring systems. Controversy exists on the reliability of the GCS. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize evidence on the reliability of the GCS.

METHODS

A literature search was undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Observational studies that assessed the reliability of the GCS, expressed by a statistical measure, were included. Methodological quality was evaluated with the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist and its influence on results considered. Reliability estimates were synthesized narratively.

RESULTS

We identified 52 relevant studies that showed significant heterogeneity in the type of reliability estimates used, patients studied, setting and characteristics of observers. Methodological quality was good (n = 7), fair (n = 18) or poor (n = 27). In good quality studies, kappa values were ≥0.6 in 85%, and all intraclass correlation coefficients indicated excellent reliability. Poor quality studies showed lower reliability estimates. Reliability for the GCS components was higher than for the sum score. Factors that may influence reliability include education and training, the level of consciousness and type of stimuli used.

CONCLUSIONS

Only 13% of studies were of good quality and inconsistency in reported reliability estimates was found. Although the reliability was adequate in good quality studies, further improvement is desirable. From a methodological perspective, the quality of reliability studies needs to be improved. From a clinical perspective, a renewed focus on training/education and standardization of assessment is required.

[Mild head injury in children and adults: Diagnostic challenges in the emergency department]

Mild head injuries are one of the most frequent reasons for attending emergency departments and are particularly challenging in different ways. While clinically important injuries are infrequent, delayed or missed injuries may lead to fatal consequences. The initial mostly inconspicuous appearance may not reflect the degree of intracranial injury and computed tomography (CT) is necessary to rule out covert injuries. Furthermore, infants and young children with a lack of or rudimentary cognitive and language development are challenging, especially for those examiners not familiar with pediatric care. Established check lists of clinical risk factors for children and adults regarding traumatic brain injuries allow specific and rational decision-making for cranial CT imaging. Clinically important intracranial injuries can be reliably detected and unnecessary radiation exposure avoided at the same time.

A rapid event-related potential (ERP) method for point-of-care evaluation of brain function: development of the Halifax Consciousness Scanner

BACKGROUND

Event-related potentials (ERPs) may provide a non-invasive index of brain function for a range of clinical applications. However, as a lab-based technique, ERPs are limited by technical challenges that prevent full integration into clinical settings.

NEW METHOD

To translate ERP capabilities from the lab to clinical applications, we have developed methods like the Halifax Consciousness Scanner (HCS). HCS is essentially a rapid, automated ERP evaluation of brain functional status. The present study describes the ERP components evoked from auditory tones and speech stimuli. ERP results were obtained using a 5-min test in 100 healthy individuals. The HCS sequence was designed to evoke the N100, the mismatch negativity (MMN), P300, the early negative enhancement (ENE), and the N400. These components reflected sensation, perception, attention, memory, and language perception, respectively. Component detection was examined at group and individual levels, and evaluated across both statistical and classification approaches.

RESULTS

All ERP components were robustly detected at the group level. At the individual level, nonparametric statistical analyses showed reduced accuracy relative to support vector (SVM) machine classification, particularly for speech-based ERPs. Optimized SVM results were MMN: 95.6%; P300: 99.0%; ENE: 91.8%; and N400: 92.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

A spectrum of individual-level ERPs can be obtained in a very short time. Machine learning classification improved detection accuracy across a large healthy control sample. Translating ERPs into clinical applications is increasingly possible at the individual level.

[Mild head injury in children and adults. Diagnostic challenges in the emergency department]

Mild head injuries are one of the most frequent reasons for attending emergency departments and are particularly challenging in different ways. While clinically important injuries are infrequent, delayed or missed injuries may lead to fatal consequences. The initial mostly inconspicuous appearance may not reflect the degree of intracranial injury and computed tomography (CT) is necessary to rule out covert injuries. Furthermore, infants and young children with a lack of or rudimentary cognitive and language development are challenging, especially for those examiners not familiar with pediatric care. Established check lists of clinical risk factors for children and adults regarding traumatic brain injuries allow specific and rational decision-making for cranial CT imaging. Clinically important intracranial injuries can be reliably detected and unnecessary radiation exposure avoided at the same time.

Introduction of a novel trauma score

BACKGROUND

Early diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and reliable prediction of outcome are essential for determining treatment strategies and allocating resources. This study introduces the Eppendorf-Cologne Scale (ECS) and evaluated its predictive accuracy for outcome and TBI presence compared with those of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort analysis of severely injured trauma patients registered in the Trauma Registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery from 1993 to 2010 was conducted. Only directly admitted patients alive on admission and with complete data on GCS, pupil reactivity, and size were included. The ECS was modeled using pupil reactivity, size, and a modified GCS motor component. The unadjusted predictive role of each component was evaluated using multivariable regression analysis. The predictive power regarding the presence of TBI and outcome of the ECS and the GCS was modeled using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 28,305 patients fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. The ECS outmatched the predictive accuracy of the GCS for outcome (AUROC, 0.824; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.817-0.831; and AUROC, 0.811; 95% CI, 0.804-0.818, respectively; rs = 0.887, p < 0.001) and TBI presence (AUROC, 0.813; 95% CI, 0.805-0.822; and AUROC, 0.777; 95% CI, 0.768-0.786, respectively; rs = 0.889, p < 0.001). Patients with TBI were five times more often unconscious at the scene and showed a 3.5-fold increased in-hospital mortality. An ECS score of 8 was associated with a 20-fold higher mortality compared with an ECS score of 0. The ECS differentiates patients with a fourfold higher mortality within the GCS 3 collective.

CONCLUSION

The ECS shows a significantly higher accuracy for prediction of outcome and TBI presence compared with the GCS and provides a simple, yet reliable, stratification tool for early decision making.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic study, level III.

Pupil evaluation in addition to Glasgow Coma Scale components in prediction of traumatic brain injury and mortality

Background

Early diagnosis and prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is essential for determining treatment strategies and allocating resources. This study evaluated the predictive accuracy of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) verbal, motor and eye components alone, or in addition to pupil size and reactivity, for TBI.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis of data from 51 425 severely injured patients registered in the Trauma Registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery from 1993 to 2009 was undertaken. Only directly admitted patients alive on admission and with complete data on GCS, pupil size and pupil reactivity were included. The unadjusted predictive roles of GCS components and pupil parameters, alone or in combination, were modelled using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analyses and multivariable logistic regression regarding presence of TBI and death.

Results

Some 24 115 patients fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Best accuracy for outcome prediction was found for pupil reactivity (AUROC 0·770, 95 per cent confidence interval 0·761 to 0·779) and GCS motor component (AUROC 0·797, 0·788 to 0·805), with less accuracy for GCS eye and verbal components. The combination of pupil reactivity and GCS motor component (AUROC 0·822, 0·814 to 0·830) outmatched the predictive accuracy of GCS alone (AUROC 0·808, 0·800 to 0·815). Pupil reactivity and size were significantly correlated (rs = 0·56, P &lt; 0·001). Patients displaying both unequal pupils and fixed pupils were most likely to have TBI (95·1 per cent of 283 patients). Good outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score 4 or more) was documented for only 1929 patients (8·0 per cent) showing fixed and bilateral dilated pupils.

Conclusion

The best predictive accuracy for presence of TBI was obtained using the GCS components. Pupil reactivity together with the GCS motor component performed best in predicting death.