Intensive care admission criteria for traumatic brain injury patients across Europe

Isolated Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage on Head Computed Tomography Scan May Not Be Isolated: A Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Study (TRACK-TBI) Study

Isolated traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (tSAH) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) on head computed tomography (CT) scan is often regarded as a "mild" injury, with reduced need for additional workup. However, tSAH is also a predictor of incomplete recovery and unfavorable outcome. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of CT-occult intracranial injuries on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in TBI patients with emergency department (ED) arrival Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 13-15 and isolated tSAH on CT. The prospective, 18-center Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Study (TRACK-TBI; enrollment years 2014-2019) enrolled participants who presented to the ED and received a clinically-indicated head CT within 24 h of TBI. A subset of TRACK-TBI participants underwent venipuncture within 24 h for plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) analysis, and research MRI at 2-weeks post-injury. In the current study, TRACK-TBI participants age ≥17 years with ED arrival GCS 13-15, isolated tSAH on initial head CT, plasma GFAP level, and 2-week MRI data were analyzed. In 57 participants, median age was 46.0 years [quartile 1 to 3 (Q1-Q3): 34-57] and 52.6% were male. At ED disposition, 12.3% were discharged home, 61.4% were admitted to hospital ward, and 26.3% to intensive care unit. MRI identified CT-occult traumatic intracranial lesions in 45.6% (26 of 57 participants; one additional lesion type: 31.6%; 2 additional lesion types: 14.0%); of these 26 participants with CT-occult intracranial lesions, 65.4% had axonal injury, 42.3% had subdural hematoma, and 23.1% had intracerebral contusion. GFAP levels were higher in participants with CT-occult MRI lesions compared with without (median: 630.6 pg/mL, Q1-Q3: [172.4-941.2] vs. 226.4 [105.8-436.1], p = 0.049), and were associated with axonal injury (no: median 226.7 pg/mL [109.6-435.1], yes: 828.6 pg/mL [204.0-1194.3], p = 0.009). Our results indicate that isolated tSAH on head CT is often not the sole intracranial traumatic injury in GCS 13-15 TBI. Forty-six percent of patients in our cohort (26 of 57 participants) had additional CT-occult traumatic lesions on MRI. Plasma GFAP may be an important biomarker for the identification of additional CT-occult injuries, including axonal injury. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given our small sample size and await validation from larger studies.

Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult Population: The Latin American Brain Injury Consortium Consensus for Definition and Categorization

Moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a diagnosis that describes diverse patients with heterogeneity of primary injuries. Defined by a Glasgow Coma Scale between 9 and 12, this category includes patients who may neurologically worsen and require increasing intensive care resources and/or emergency neurosurgery. Despite the unique characteristics of these patients, there have not been specific guidelines published before this effort to support decision-making in these patients. A Delphi consensus group from the Latin American Brain Injury Consortium was established to generate recommendations related to the definition and categorization of moderate TBI. Before an in-person meeting, a systematic review of the literature was performed identifying evidence relevant to planned topics. Blinded voting assessed support for each recommendation. A priori the threshold for consensus was set at 80% agreement. Nine PICOT questions were generated by the panel, including definition, categorization, grouping, and diagnosis of moderate TBI. Here, we report the results of our work including relevant consensus statements and discussion for each question. Moderate TBI is an entity for which there is little published evidence available supporting definition, diagnosis, and management. Recommendations based on experts' opinion were informed by available evidence and aim to refine the definition and categorization of moderate TBI. Further studies evaluating the impact of these recommendations will be required.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Critically Ill Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: From Intensive Care Parameters to Patient and Caregiver-Reported Outcome

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a high social and financial burden due to persisting (severe) disabilities. The consequences of TBI after intensive care unit (ICU) admission are generally measured with global disability screeners such as the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE), which may lack precision. To improve outcome measurement after brain injury, a comprehensive clinical outcome assessment tool called the Minimal Dataset for Acquired Brain Injury (MDS-ABI) was recently developed. The MDS-ABI covers 12 life domains (demographics, injury characteristics, comorbidity, cognitive functioning, emotional functioning, energy, mobility, self-care, communication, participation, social support, and quality of life), as well as informal caregiver capacity and strain. In this cross-sectional study, we used the MDS-ABI among formerly ICU admitted patients with TBI to explore the relationship between dichotomized severity of TBI and long-term outcome. Our objectives were to: 1) summarize demographics, clinical characteristics, and long-term outcomes of patients and their informal caregivers, and 2) compare differences between long-term outcomes in patients with mild-moderate TBI and severe TBI based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at admission. Participants were former patients of a Dutch university hospital (total n = 52; mild-moderate TBI n = 23; severe TBI n = 29) and their informal caregivers (n = 45). Hospital records were evaluated, and the MDS-ABI was administered during a home visit. On average 3.2 years after their TBI, 62% of the patients were cognitively impaired, 62% reported elevated fatigue, and 69% experienced restrictions in ≥2 participation domains (most frequently work or education and going out). Informal caregivers generally felt competent to provide necessary care (81%), but 31% experienced a disproportionate caregiver burden. All but four patients lived at home independently, often together with their informal caregiver (81%). Although the mild-moderate TBI group and the severe TBI group had significantly different clinical trajectories, there were no persisting differences between the groups for patient or caregiver outcomes at follow-up. As a large proportion of the patients experienced long-lasting consequences beyond global disability or independent living, clinicians should implement a multi-domain outcome set such as the MDS-AB to follow up on their patients.

Intramural Healthcare Consumption and Costs After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) Study

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health problem and a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability. The increasing incidence combined with the heterogeneity and complexity of TBI will inevitably place a substantial burden on health systems. These findings emphasize the importance of obtaining accurate and timely insights into healthcare consumption and costs on a multi-national scale. This study aimed to describe intramural healthcare consumption and costs across the full spectrum of TBI in Europe. The Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) core study is a prospective observational study conducted in 18 countries across Europe and in Israel. The baseline Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was used to differentiate patients by brain injury severity in mild (GCS 13-15), moderate (GCS 9-12), or severe (GCS ≤8) TBI. We analyzed seven main cost categories: pre-hospital care, hospital admission, surgical interventions, imaging, laboratory, blood products, and rehabilitation. Costs were estimated based on Dutch reference prices and converted to country-specific unit prices using gross domestic product (GDP)-purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustment. Mixed linear regression was used to identify between-country differences in length of stay (LOS), as a parameter of healthcare consumption. Mixed generalized linear models with gamma distribution and log link function quantified associations of patient characteristics with higher total costs. We included 4349 patients, of whom 2854 (66%) had mild, 371 (9%) had moderate, and 962 (22%) had severe TBI. Hospitalization accounted for the largest part of the intramural consumption and costs (60%). In the total study population, the mean LOS was 5.1 days at the intensive care unit (ICU) and 6.3 days at the ward. For mild, moderate, and severe TBI, mean LOS was, respectively, 1.8, 8.9, and 13.5 days at the ICU and 4.5, 10.1, and 10.3 days at the ward. Other large contributors to the total costs were rehabilitation (19%) and intracranial surgeries (8%). Total costs increased with higher age and greater trauma severity (mild; €3,800 [IQR €1,400-14,000], moderate; €37,800 [IQR €14,900-€74,200], severe; €60,400 [IQR €24,400-€112,700]). The adjusted analysis showed that female patients had lower costs than male patients (odds ratio (OR) 0.80 [CI 0.75-1.85]). Increasing TBI severity was associated with higher costs, OR 1.46 (confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.63) and OR 1.67 [CI 1.52-1.84] for moderate and severe patients, respectively. A worse pre-morbid overall health state, increasing age and more severe systemic trauma, expressed in the Injury Severity Score (ISS), were also significantly associated with higher costs. Intramural costs of TBI are significant and are profoundly driven by hospitalization. Costs increased with trauma severity and age, and male patients incurred higher costs. Reducing LOS could be targeted with advanced care planning, in order to provide cost-effective care.

Development and first results of a national databank on care and treatment outcome after traumatic brain injury

PURPOSE

In absence of comprehensive data collection on traumatic brain injury (TBI), the German Society for Neurosurgery (DGNC) and the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU) developed a TBI databank for German-speaking countries.

METHODS

From 2016 to 2020, the TBI databank DGNC/DGU was implemented as a module of the TraumaRegister (TR) DGU and tested in a 15-month pilot phase. Since its official launch in 2021, patients from the TR-DGU (intermediate or intensive care unit admission via shock room) with TBI (AIS head ≥ 1) can be enrolled. A data set of > 300 clinical, imaging, and laboratory variables, harmonized with other international TBI data collection structures is documented, and the treatment outcome is evaluated after 6- and 12 months.

RESULTS

For this analysis, 318 patients in the TBI databank could be included (median age 58 years; 71% men). Falls were the most common cause of injury (55%), and antithrombotic medication was frequent (28%). Severe or moderate TBI were only present in 55% of patients, while 45% suffered a mild injury. Nevertheless, intracranial pathologies were present in 95% of brain imaging with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages (76%) being the most common. Intracranial surgeries were performed in 42% of cases. In-hospital mortality after TBI was 21% and surviving patients could be discharged after a median hospital stay of 11 days. At the 6-and 12 months follow-up, a favorable outcome was achieved by 70% and 90% of the participating TBI patients, respectively. Compared to a European cohort of 2138 TBI patients treated in the ICU between 2014 and 2017, patients in the TBI databank were already older, frailer, fell more commonly at home.

CONCLUSION

Within five years, the TBI databank DGNC/DGU of the TR-DGU could be established and is since then prospectively enrolling TBI patients in German-speaking countries. With its large and harmonized data set and a 12-month follow-up, the TBI databank is a unique project in Europe, already allowing comparisons to other data collection structures and indicating a demographic change towards older and frailer TBI patients in Germany.

Unplanned Post-Anesthesia Care Unit to ICU Transfer Following Cerebral Surgery: A Retrospective Study

Background: Unplanned transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) lead to reduced trust of patients and their families in medical staff and challenge medical staff to allocate scarce ICU resources. This study aimed to explore the incidence and risk factors of unplanned transfer to ICU during emergence from general anesthesia after cerebral surgery, and to provide guidelines for preventing unplanned transfer from post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) to ICU following cerebral surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study and included patients with unplanned transfer from PACU to ICU following cerebral surgery between January 2016 and December 2020. The control group comprised patients matched (2:1) for age (±5 years), sex, and operation date (±48 hours) as those in the case group. Stata14.0 was used for statistical analysis, and p < .05 indicated statistical significance. Results: A total of 11,807 patients following cerebral surgery operations were cared in PACU during the study period. Of the 11,807 operations, 81 unscheduled ICU transfer occurred (0.686%). Finally, 76 patients were included in the case group, and 152 in the control group. The following factors were identified as independent risk factors for unplanned ICU admission after neurosurgery: low mean blood oxygen (OR = 1.57, 95%CI: 1.20-2.04), low mean albumin (OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.03-1.25), slow mean heart rate (OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 1.00-1.08), blood transfusion (OR = 2.78, 95%CI: 1.02-7.58), emergency surgery (OR = 3.08, 95%CI: 1.07-8.87), lung disease (OR = 2.64, 95%CI: 1.06-6.60), and high mean blood glucose (OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.21-2.41). Conclusion: We identified independent risk factors for unplanned transfer from PACU to ICU after cerebral surgery based on electronic medical records. Early identification of patients who may undergo unplanned ICU transfer after cerebral surgery is important to provide guidance for accurately implementing a patient's level of care.

Traumatic brain injury: Association between the Glasgow Coma Scale score and intensive care unit mortality

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) prevalence in Botswana is high and this, coupled with a small population, may reduce productivity. There is no previous study in Botswana on the association between mortality from TBI and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score although global literature supports its existence.

Objectives

Our primary aim was to determine the association between the initial GCS score and the time to mortality of adults admitted with TBI at the Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana, between 2014 and 2019. Secondary aims were to assess the risk factors associated with time to mortality and to estimate the mortality rate from TBI.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort design, medical record census conducted from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019.

Results

In total, 137 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and the majority, 114 (83.2%), were male with a mean age of 34.5 years. The initial GCS score and time to mortality were associated (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.508 - 0.947). Other factors associated with time to mortality included constricted pupil (aHR 0.12; 95% CI 0.044 - 0.344), temperature (aHR 0.82; 95% CI 0.727 - 0.929), and subdural haematoma (aHR 3.41; 95% CI 1.819 - 6.517). Most cases of TBI (74 (54%)) were due to road traffic accidents. The number of deaths was 48 (35% (95% CI 27.1% - 43.6%)), entirely due to severe TBI.

Conclusion

The study confirmed significant association between GCS and mortality. Males were mainly involved in TBI. These findings lack external validity because of the small sample size, and therefore a larger multicentre study is required for validation.

Contributions of the study

This study informs the relevant stakeholders in Botswana about sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of patients admitted to the ICU with severe TBI on the backdrop of scarce ICU resources. It provides a basis for a larger study to inform its external validation.

What are the demographic and clinical differences between those older adults with traumatic brain injury who receive a neurosurgical intervention to those that do not? A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis

OBJECTIVES

This review aimed to identify the demographic and clinical differences between those older adults admitted directly under neurosurgical care and those that were not, and whether EMS clinicians could use these differences to improve patient triage.

METHODS

The authors searched for papers that included older adults who had suffered a TBI and were either admitted directly under neurosurgical care or were not. Titles and abstracts were screened, shortlisting potentially eligible papers before performing a full-text review. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias.

RESULTS

A total of nine studies were eligible for inclusion. A high abbreviated injury score head, Marshall score or subdural hematoma greater than 10 mm were associated with neurosurgical care. There were few differences between those patients who did and did not receive neurosurgical intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Absence of guidelines and clinician bias means that differences between those treated aggressively and conservatively observed in the literature are fraught with bias. Further work is required to understand which patients would benefit from an escalation of care and whether EMS can identify these patients so they are transported directly to a hospital with the appropriate services on-site.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Older Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury in China

Increasing traumatic brain injury (TBI) among older adults constitutes a substantial socioeconomic burden, in step with the growing aging global population. Here, we aimed to investigate the profile of geriatric TBI in the CENTER-TBI China registry, a prospective observational study conducted in 56 centers of 22 provinces across China. Patients admitted to the hospital with a clinical diagnosis of TBI were enrolled in the study. Data on demographic characteristics, injury, clinical features, treatments, and survival at discharge were collected and assessed. The primary endpoint was survival state at discharge. We analyzed a total of 2415 patients aged ≥65 years, accounting for 18.34% of the overall population. The median age was 72 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 68-78), and 1588 (65.76%) were men. Incidental falls (n=1044, 43.23%) were the leading cause of TBI, followed by road traffic injuries (n=1034, 42.82%). Roads and homes were the main sites of injury. The median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 13 (IQR: 9-15); 1397 (57.85%) patients had mild TBI (GCS 13-15), while 530 (21.95%) and 488 (20.21%) presented with moderate (GCS 9-12) and severe TBI (sTBI; GCS 3-8), respectively. A total of 546 (22.61%) patients underwent intracranial surgery. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 8.24% (n=199), and most survivors were transferred home. This study revealed that the demographic patterns and injury mechanisms are changing among elderly patients with TBI in China. More attention should be given to the high incidence of geriatric TBI to improve prevention and management strategies.

Explaining Outcome Differences between Men and Women following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Men and women differ in outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study, we previously found that women had worse 6-month functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Score Extended [GOSE]), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and mental health following mild TBI. The aim of this study was to investigate whether those differences were mediated by psychiatric history, gender-related sociodemographic variables, or by care pathways. We analyzed sex/gender differences in 6-month GOSE, generic and TBI-specific HRQoL, and post-concussion and mental health symptoms using three sets of mediators: psychiatric history, sociodemographic variables (living alone, living with children, education and employment status/job category), and care-pathways (referral to study hospital and discharge destination after emergency department); while controlling for a substantial number of potential confounders (pre-injury health and injury-related characteristics). We included 1842 men and 1022 women (16+) with a Glasgow Coma Score 13-15, among whom 83% had GOSE available and about 60% other 6-month outcomes. We used natural effects models to decompose the total effect of sex/gender on the outcomes into indirect effects that passed through the specified mediators and the remaining direct effects. In our study population, women had worse outcomes and these were only partly explained by psychiatric history, and not considerably explained by sociodemographic variables nor by care pathways. Factors other than differences in specified variables seem to underlie observed differences between men and women in outcomes after mild TBI. Future studies should explore more aspects of gender roles and identity and biological factors underpinning sex and gender differences in TBI outcomes.

Bypassing the nearest emergency department for a more distant neurosurgical centre in traumatic brain injury patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Major trauma triage within regional trauma networks (RTN) select patients with suspected TBI for bypass to specialist neuroscience centres (SNC), expediting neurosurgical care but may delay resuscitation. This comparative effectiveness study assessed the impact of this strategy on the risk adjusted hospital survival rates of patients confirmed to have intracranial injury on brain computed tomography (CT) scan.

METHOD

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using Trauma Audit and Research Network trauma registry data. Adult patients with a TBI on CT scan were included if they presented between June 2015 to February 2016 to SNCs or non-specialist acute hospitals (NSAH) in the North of England (South Cumbria, Lancashire and the North East Region). Patients were identified as having bypassed a nearer NSAH emergency department (ED) to a SNC using google maps. Their standardised excess survival rate was compared to TBI patients who received primary treatment at a NSAH. A multivariate logistic regression model predicting 30-day survival after TBI (Ps14ⁿ)¹ was used to adjust for variation in casemix between cohorts.

STUDY DESIGN AND RESULTS

355 patients met the study inclusion criteria, with 89/355 (25%) of TBI patients bypassing a nearer NSAH to a SNC, and 266/355 (75%) receiving primary treatment at an NSAH. The median severity of intracranial injury was equivalent (median Head Abbreviated Injury Scale 4 (IQR 4-5) in each group. There was no statistically significant difference in the standardised excess survival rate between the two cohorts; +6.15% for bypass (95% CI -1.24% to +13.55%) versus -1.12% for non-bypass (95% CI -4.51% to +2.25%).

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH

No statistically significant survival benefit was identified for TBI patients who bypassed the nearest ED to attend a SNC compared to those receiving treatment at the nearest NSAH, however a clinically significant 7% excess survival rate merits a larger study.

Differences between Men and Women in Treatment and Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of disability, but little is known about sex and gender differences after TBI. We aimed to analyze the association between sex/gender, and the broad range of care pathways, treatment characteristics, and outcomes following mild and moderate/severe TBI. We performed mixed-effects regression analyses in the prospective multi-center Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study, stratified for injury severity and age, and adjusted for baseline characteristics. Outcomes were various care pathway and treatment variables, and 6-month measures of functional outcome, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), post-concussion symptoms (PCS), and mental health symptoms. The study included 2862 adults (36% women) with mild (mTBI; Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 13-15), and 1333 adults (26% women) with moderate/severe TBI (GCS score 3-12). Women were less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU; odds ratios [OR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4-0.8) following mTBI. Following moderate/severe TBI, women had a shorter median hospital stay (OR 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5-1.0). Following mTBI, women had poorer outcomes; lower Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE; OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6), lower generic and disease-specific HRQoL, and more severe PCS, depression, and anxiety. Among them, women under age 45 and above age 65 years showed worse 6-month outcomes compared with men of the same age. Following moderate/severe TBI, there was no difference in GOSE (OR 0.9, 95% CI: 0.7-1.2), but women reported more severe PCS (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.6). Men and women differ in care pathways and outcomes following TBI. Women generally report worse 6-month outcomes, but the size of differences depend on TBI severity and age. Future studies should examine factors that explain these differences.

Characteristics of traumatic brain injury patients with abnormal neuroimaging in Southeast Norway

Background

The vast majority of hospital admitted patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) will have intracranial injury identified by neuroimaging, requiring qualified staff and hospital beds. Moreover, increased pressure in health care services is expected because of an aging population. Thus, a regular evaluation of characteristics of hospital admitted patients with TBI is needed. Oslo TBI Registry – Neurosurgery prospectively register all patients with TBI identified by neuroimaging admitted to a trauma center for southeast part of Norway. The purpose of this study is to describe this patient population with respect to case load, time of admission, age, comorbidity, injury mechanism, injury characteristics, length of stay, and 30-days survival.

Methods

Data for 5 years was extracted from Oslo TBI Registry – Neurosurgery. Case load, time of admission, age, sex, comorbidity, injury mechanism, injury characteristics, length of stay, and 30-days survival was compiled and compared.

Results

From January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2019, 2153 consecutive patients with TBI identified by neuroimaging were registered. The admission rate of TBI of all severities has been stable year-round since 2015. Mean age was 52 years (standard deviation 25, range 0–99), and 68% were males. Comorbidities were common; 28% with pre-injury ASA score of ≥3 and 25% used antithrombotic medication. The dominating cause of injury in all ages was falls (55%) but increased with age. Upon admission, the head injury was classified as mild TBI in 46%, moderate in 28%, and severe (Glasgow coma score ≤ 8) in 26%. Case load was stable without seasonal variation. Majority of patients (68%) were admitted during evening, night or weekend. 68% was admitted to intensive care unit. Length of hospital stay was 4 days (median, interquartile range 3–9). 30-day survival for mild, moderate and severe TBI was 98, 94 and 69%, respectively.

Conclusions

The typical TBI patients admitted to hospital with abnormal neuroimaging were aged 50–79 years, often with significant comorbidity, and admitted outside ordinary working hours. This suggests the necessity for all-hour presence of competent health care professionals.

Case-mix, care pathways, and outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury in CENTER-TBI: a European prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, cohort study

BACKGROUND

The burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI) poses a large public health and societal problem, but the characteristics of patients and their care pathways in Europe are poorly understood. We aimed to characterise patient case-mix, care pathways, and outcomes of TBI.

METHODS

CENTER-TBI is a Europe-based, observational cohort study, consisting of a core study and a registry. Inclusion criteria for the core study were a clinical diagnosis of TBI, presentation fewer than 24 h after injury, and an indication for CT. Patients were differentiated by care pathway and assigned to the emergency room (ER) stratum (patients who were discharged from an emergency room), admission stratum (patients who were admitted to a hospital ward), or intensive care unit (ICU) stratum (patients who were admitted to the ICU). Neuroimages and biospecimens were stored in repositories and outcome was assessed at 6 months after injury. We used the IMPACT core model for estimating the expected mortality and proportion with unfavourable Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) outcomes in patients with moderate or severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score ≤12). The core study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02210221, and with Resource Identification Portal (RRID: SCR_015582).

FINDINGS

Data from 4509 patients from 18 countries, collected between Dec 9, 2014, and Dec 17, 2017, were analysed in the core study and from 22 782 patients in the registry. In the core study, 848 (19%) patients were in the ER stratum, 1523 (34%) in the admission stratum, and 2138 (47%) in the ICU stratum. In the ICU stratum, 720 (36%) patients had mild TBI (GCS score 13-15). Compared with the core cohort, the registry had a higher proportion of patients in the ER (9839 [43%]) and admission (8571 [38%]) strata, with more than 95% of patients classified as having mild TBI. Patients in the core study were older than those in previous studies (median age 50 years [IQR 30-66], 1254 [28%] aged >65 years), 462 (11%) had serious comorbidities, 772 (18%) were taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, and alcohol was contributory in 1054 (25%) TBIs. MRI and blood biomarker measurement enhanced characterisation of injury severity and type. Substantial inter-country differences existed in care pathways and practice. Incomplete recovery at 6 months (GOSE <8) was found in 207 (30%) patients in the ER stratum, 665 (53%) in the admission stratum, and 1547 (84%) in the ICU stratum. Among patients with moderate-to-severe TBI in the ICU stratum, 623 (55%) patients had unfavourable outcome at 6 months (GOSE <5), similar to the proportion predicted by the IMPACT prognostic model (observed to expected ratio 1·06 [95% CI 0·97-1·14]), but mortality was lower than expected (0·70 [0·62-0·76]).

INTERPRETATION

Patients with TBI who presented to European centres in the core study were older than were those in previous observational studies and often had comorbidities. Overall, most patients presented with mild TBI. The incomplete recovery of many patients should motivate precision medicine research and the identification of best practices to improve these outcomes.

FUNDING

European Union 7th Framework Programme, the Hannelore Kohl Stiftung, OneMind, and Integra LifeSciences Corporation.

Quality indicators for patients with traumatic brain injury in European intensive care units: a CENTER-TBI study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to validate a previously published consensus-based quality indicator set for the management of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and to study its potential for quality measurement and improvement.

METHODS

Our analysis was based on 2006 adult patients admitted to 54 ICUs between 2014 and 2018, enrolled in the CENTER-TBI study. Indicator scores were calculated as percentage adherence for structure and process indicators and as event rates or median scores for outcome indicators. Feasibility was quantified by the completeness of the variables. Discriminability was determined by the between-centre variation, estimated with a random effect regression model adjusted for case-mix severity and quantified by the median odds ratio (MOR). Statistical uncertainty of outcome indicators was determined by the median number of events per centre, using a cut-off of 10.

RESULTS

A total of 26/42 indicators could be calculated from the CENTER-TBI database. Most quality indicators proved feasible to obtain with more than 70% completeness. Sub-optimal adherence was found for most quality indicators, ranging from 26 to 93% and 20 to 99% for structure and process indicators. Significant (p < 0.001) between-centre variation was found in seven process and five outcome indicators with MORs ranging from 1.51 to 4.14. Statistical uncertainty of outcome indicators was generally high; five out of seven had less than 10 events per centre.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, nine structures, five processes, but none of the outcome indicators showed potential for quality improvement purposes for TBI patients in the ICU. Future research should focus on implementation efforts and continuous reevaluation of quality indicators.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The core study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02210221, registered on August 06, 2014, with Resource Identification Portal (RRID: SCR_015582).

Changing care pathways and between-center practice variations in intensive care for traumatic brain injury across Europe: a CENTER-TBI analysis

PURPOSE

To describe ICU stay, selected management aspects, and outcome of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Europe, and to quantify variation across centers.

METHODS

This is a prospective observational multicenter study conducted across 18 countries in Europe and Israel. Admission characteristics, clinical data, and outcome were described at patient- and center levels. Between-center variation in the total ICU population was quantified with the median odds ratio (MOR), with correction for case-mix and random variation between centers.

RESULTS

A total of 2138 patients were admitted to the ICU, with median age of 49 years; 36% of which were mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale; GCS 13-15). Within, 72 h 636 (30%) were discharged and 128 (6%) died. Early deaths and long-stay patients (> 72 h) had more severe injuries based on the GCS and neuroimaging characteristics, compared with short-stay patients. Long-stay patients received more monitoring and were treated at higher intensity, and experienced worse 6-month outcome compared to short-stay patients. Between-center variations were prominent in the proportion of short-stay patients (MOR = 2.3, p < 0.001), use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring (MOR = 2.5, p < 0.001) and aggressive treatments (MOR = 2.9, p < 0.001); and smaller in 6-month outcome (MOR = 1.2, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Half of contemporary TBI patients at the ICU have mild to moderate head injury. Substantial between-center variations exist in ICU stay and treatment policies, and less so in outcome. It remains unclear whether admission of short-stay patients represents appropriate prudence or inappropriate use of clinical resources.