Rehabilitation Practices in Patients With Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Effectiveness of early rehabilitation interventions in patients with traumatic brain injury using a large database

BACKGROUND

Rehabilitation is important for patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the timing of early rehabilitation initiation is ambiguous, and its safety and effectiveness are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effectiveness and safety of early rehabilitation in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI using propensity score analysis and a large database.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A large medical database (JMDC database) of tertiary care facilities was used to compare outcomes of early and delayed rehabilitation.

PATIENTS

Patients aged between 20 and 90 years who were diagnosed with TBI were admitted to acute care hospitals. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing rehabilitation within 7 days of admission with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 to 12 on admission. This study included 3074 patients with moderate-to-severe TBI.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were classified into an early rehabilitation group (within 2 days of admission) or a delayed rehabilitation group (3 to 7 days postadmission), depending on when rehabilitation started after TBI. Rehabilitation was defined as any type or intensity of intervention provided by a physical, occupational, and/or speech/language therapist. Interventions were not controlled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

The primary outcome was Barthel Index (BI) efficiency (BI gain/length of stay). Secondary outcomes included BI gain (discharge BI - admission BI), incidence of aspiration pneumonia complications during hospitalization, discharge to home, mortality, and length of stay.

RESULTS

After applying inverse probability weighting with propensity scores, the total was 6152 patients. 3074 (50.0%) patients received early rehabilitation. The early rehabilitation group showed no difference in inpatient mortality (p = .438), improved BI efficiency (β = 0.86, p < .001), and shorter length of stay (β = -5.00, p = .018).

CONCLUSIONS

Early rehabilitation in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI is associated with more efficient functional improvement and reduced hospital stays without an increase in inpatient mortality.

Survival and predictive factors of clinical outcome in patients with severe acquired brain injury

BACKGROUND

Despite the many tools available to modern medicine, predicting the neurological and functional status of patients after severe brain injury remains difficult.

AIM

This analysis evaluates the outcomes of patients with the most severe degree of cerebral function impairment.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Patients hospitalized in the long-term Intensive Care Unit (ICU) department in the Military University Hospital in Prague between 2015-2022.

POPULATION

We analyzed patients with severe acquired brain damage from five distinct etiologies whose initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was eight or less upon admission to ICU due to neurological damage.

METHODS

Several parameters reflecting the patients' clinical status were evaluated. Overall survival after discharge from the ICU was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier model with comparison between traumatic (TR) and non-traumatic (non-TR) etiologies.

RESULTS

The analyzed cohort of 221 patients consisted of 116 patients of TR and 105 of non-TR etiology. There was no significant difference in overall survival between TR and non-TR groups. The length of hospitalization in the ICU was similar in both groups with a median of 94 days. The majority of patients had an improvement of GCS during the hospitalization with a median improvement of five points. GCS improvement occurred in the vast majority of patients regardless of TR or non-TR etiology.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe a statistically significant difference in mortality or log-term neurological status between patients with severe brain injury of traumatic or non-traumatic etiology for the duration of our follow-up. The majority of patients had improved GCS, were successfully decannulated, but remained disabled with severe limitations of functional independence.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

The return of the patient to normal life is a rehabilitation challenge, regardless of the etiology of brain injury, and is extremely influenced by the level of development of neurorehabilitation programs in individual institutions, the severity of brain injury, and the individual motivation of the patient.

Assessing the impact of early progressive mobilization on moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurodisability worldwide, with notably high disability rates among moderately severe TBI cases. Extensive previous research emphasizes the critical need for early initiation of rehabilitation interventions for these cases. However, the optimal timing and methodology of early mobilization in TBI remain to be conclusively determined. Therefore, we explored the impact of early progressive mobilization (EPM) protocols on the functional outcomes of ICU-admitted patients with moderate to severe TBI.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was conducted at a trauma ICU of a medical center; 65 patients were randomly assigned to either the EPM group or the early progressive upright positioning (EPUP) group. The EPM group received early out-of-bed mobilization therapy within seven days after injury, while the EPUP group underwent early in-bed upright position rehabilitation. The primary outcome was the Perme ICU Mobility Score and secondary outcomes included Functional Independence Measure motor domain (FIM-motor) score, phase angle (PhA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and duration of ventilation.

RESULTS

Among 65 randomized patients, 33 were assigned to EPM and 32 to EPUP group. The EPM group significantly outperformed the EPUP group in the Perme ICU Mobility and FIM-motor scores, with a notably shorter ICU stay by 5.9 days (p < 0.001) and ventilation duration by 6.7 days (p = 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in PhAs.

CONCLUSION

The early progressive out-of-bed mobilization protocol can enhance mobility and functional outcomes and shorten ICU stay and ventilation duration of patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. Our study's results support further investigation of EPM through larger, randomized clinical trials. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04810273 . Registered 13 March 2021.

Traumatic brain injury is common and undertreated in the orthopaedic trauma population

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can be difficult to diagnose and are often marginalized when compared to more obvious physical injuries. Despite this, recognition and early treatment can lead to improved outcomes. Even mild TBIs have the potential to cause significant long-term consequences for patients, which may affect their physical recovery from orthopaedic injuries. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence and treatment of TBI within the orthopaedic trauma population.

METHODS

Inclusion criteria were all patients presenting after an acute trauma with an orthopaedic surgery consult over a continuous 3 month timeframe (n = 187). A retrospective review was completed at an academic tertiary referral trauma center. The primary outcome was the rate of TBI. Secondary outcomes included rate of TBI listed as a discharge diagnosis and rate of follow up plan. Several secondary variables were noted and their associations with TBI evaluated.

RESULTS

27 % of the 187 patients had an acute TBI. 61 % of TBI patients had the diagnosis listed in their discharge summary. 6 % had a follow up plan. The positive TBI group was associated with more high energy injuries (p = 0.032), average limbs involved (p = 0.007), upper extremity injury (p < 0.001), bilateral lower extremity injury (p = 0.004), and Injury Severity Score (p < 0.001). 82 % of patients with an acute TBI had an occupational therapy consult and 39 % had a neurosurgery consult. 24 % of patients with a TBI were admitted to the orthopaedic primary service.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients presenting after an acute trauma with orthopaedic injuries have high rates of TBI, but low rates of diagnosis and treatment. This lack of diagnosis and treatment can negatively impact recovery from orthopaedic injuries. Orthopaedic providers should be aware of the diagnostic criteria and initial treatment steps for TBI to ensure prompt and effective treatment, which has been shown to improve outcomes.

Overview of randomized controlled trials of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Given the complexity of post-TBI medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care, research is critical to optimize interventions across the continuum of care and improve outcomes for persons with moderate to severe TBI.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the literature.

METHOD

Systematic searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO for RCTs up to December 2022 inclusive were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

662 RCTs of 91,946 participants published from 1978 to 2022 met inclusion criteria. The number of RCTs published annually has increased steadily. The most reported indicator of TBI severity was the Glasgow Coma Scale (545 RCTs, 82.3%). 432 (65.3%) RCTs focused on medical/surgical interventions while 230 (34.7%) addressed rehabilitation. Medical/surgical RCTs had larger sample sizes compared to rehabilitation RCTs. Rehabilitation RCTs accounted for only one third of moderate to severe TBI RCTs and were primarily conducted in the chronic phase post-injury relying on smaller sample sizes.

CONCLUSION

Further research in the subacute and chronic phases as well as increasing rehabilitation focused TBI RCTs will be important to optimizing the long-term outcomes and quality of life for persons living with TBI.

The Role of Innovation Technology in the Rehabilitation of Patients Affected by Huntington's Disease: A Scoping Review

Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by the repetition of cytosine, adenine, and guanine trinucleotides on the short arm of chromosome 4p16.3 within the Huntingtin gene. In this study, we aim to examine and map the existing evidence on the use of innovations in the rehabilitation of Huntington's disease. A scoping review was conducted on innovative rehabilitative treatments performed on patients with Huntington's disease. A search was performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases to screen references of included studies and review articles for additional citations. Of an initial 1117 articles, only 20 met the search criteria. These findings showed that available evidence is still limited and that studies generally had small sample sizes and a high risk of bias. Regarding cognitive rehabilitation, it has emerged that VR- and PC-based methods as well as NIBS techniques are feasible and may have promising effects in individuals with Huntington's disease. On the other hand, scarce evidence was found for cognitive and motor training that might have a slight impact on overall cognitive function in individuals with Huntington's disease. Data show that further investigation is needed to explore the effects of innovative rehabilitation tools on cognition, especially considering that cognitive and psychiatric symptoms can precede the onset of motor symptoms by many years.

Post-traumatic decompressive craniectomy: Prognostic factors and long-term follow-up

Background

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is still controversial in neurosurgery. According to the most recent trials, DC seems to increase survival in case of refractory intracranial pressure. On the other hand, the risk of postsurgical poor outcomes remain high. The present study aimed to evaluate a series of preoperative factors potentially impacting on long-term follow-up of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients treated with DC.

Methods

We analyzed the first follow-up year of a series of 75 TBI patients treated with DC at our department in five years (2015-2019). Demographic, clinical, and radiological parameters were retrospectively collected from clinical records. Blood examinations were analyzed to calculate the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Disability rating scale (DRS) was used to classify patients' outcomes (good outcome [G.O.] if DRS ≤11 and poor outcome [P.O.] if DRS ≥12) at 6 and 12 months.

Results

At six months follow-up, 25 out of 75 patients had DRS ≤11, while at 12 months, 30 out of 75 patients were included in the G.O. group . Admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) >8 was significantly associated with six months G.O. Increased NLR values and the interval between DC and cranioplasty >3 months were significantly correlated to a P.O. at 6- and 12-month follow-up.

Conclusion

Since DC still represents a controversial therapeutic strategy, selecting parameters to help stratify TBI patients' potential outcomes is paramount. GCS at admission, the interval between DC and cranioplasty, and preoperative NLR values seem to correlate with the long-term outcome.

Selecting patients for early interdisciplinary rehabilitation during neurointensive care after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

Early interdisciplinary rehabilitation (EIR) in neurointensive care is a limited resource reserved for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) believed to profit from treatment. We evaluated how key parameters related to injury severity and patient characteristics were predictive of receiving EIR, and whether these parameters changed over time.

METHODS

Among 1003 adult patients with moderate to severe TBI admitted over 72 h to neurointensive care unit during four time periods between 2005 and 2020, EIR was given to 578 and standard care to 425 patients. Ten selection criteria thought to best represent injury severity and patient benefit were evaluated (Glasgow Coma Scale, Head Abbreviated Injury Scale, New-Injury-Severity-Scale, intracranial pressure monitoring, neurosurgery, age, employment, Charlson Comorbidity Index, severe psychiatric disease, and chronic substance abuse).

RESULTS

In multivariate regression analysis, patients who were employed (adjOR 1.99 [95% CI 1.41, 2.80]), had no/mild comorbidity (adjOR 3.15 [95% CI 1.72, 5.79]), needed neurosurgery, had increasing injury severity and were admitted by increasing time period were more likely to receive EIR, whereas receiving EIR was less likely with increasing age (adjOR 0.97 [95% CI 0.96, 0.98]) and chronic substance abuse. Overall predictive ability of the model was 71%. Median age and comorbidity increased while employment decreased from 2005 to 2020, indicating patient selection became less restrictive with time.

CONCLUSION

Injury severity and need for neurosurgery remain important predictors for receiving EIR, but the importance of age, employment, and comorbidity have changed over time. Moderate prediction accuracy using current clinical criteria suggest unrecognized factors are important for patient selection.

Early neuro-rehabilitation in traumatic brain injury: the need for an African perspective

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health challenge, affecting about 69 million individuals annually and being one of the leading causes of mortality. It has adverse consequences in terms of cognitive and physical functioning, which makes rehabilitation interventions an integral part of its management. Early neuro-rehabilitation guidelines for traumatic brain injury have not yet been developed and implemented in most of Africa especially Sub-Saharan Africa. BODY: We aimed with this Opinion to propose a collective reflection on the development and implementation of early neuro-rehabilitation guidelines as an integral part of the care in traumatic brain injury. The different aspects to be considered for reflection have been highlighted: Traumatic brain injury severity to be considered in early neuro-rehabilitation; who should be assessed and receive early neurorehabilitation, barriers to be considered for early neurorehabilitation; what early neurorehabilitation to be considered; the different phases involved in rehabilitation after mild, moderate, and severe TBI; and lastly, what perspective for the creation of neurorehabilitation teams. In conclusion, neuro-rehabilitation should start at the time of admission and should continue from the intensive care unit through the community for the moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury population. However, mild TBI should also be considered for long-term follow-up in the community due to the fact that some mild traumatic brain injury patients might develop chronic cognitive problems or fatigue with time.

CONCLUSION

Neurorehabilitation should start at the time of admission and continue from the intensive care unit through the community for the moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury population. There is a need to develop, agree on, and implement guidelines on early neuro-rehabilitation interventions for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in the African region, where disparities in care are common reality.

Adherence to Guidelines for Acute Rehabilitation in the Norwegian Trauma Plan

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate adherence to 3 central operational recommendations for acute rehabilitation in the Norwegian trauma plan.

METHODS

A prospective multi-centre study of 538 adults with moderate and severe trauma with New Injury Severity Score > 9.

RESULTS

Adherence to the first recommendation, assessment by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician within 72 h following admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the trauma centre, was documented for 18% of patients. Adherence to the second recommendation, early rehabilitation in the intensive care unit, was documented for 72% of those with severe trauma and ≥ 2 days ICU stay. Predictors for early rehabilitation were ICU length of stay and spinal cord injury. Adherence to the third recommendation, direct transfer of patients from acute ward to a specialized rehabilitation unit, was documented in 22% of patients, and occurred more often in those with severe trauma (26%), spinal cord injury (54%) and traumatic brain injury (39%). Being employed, having head or spinal chord injury and longer ICU stay were predictors for direct transfer to a specialized rehabilitation unit.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to acute rehabilitation guidelines after trauma is poor. This applies to documented early assessment by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, and direct transfer from acute care to rehabilitation after head and extremity injuries. These findings indicate a need for more systematic integration of rehabilitation in the acute treatment phase after trauma.

Factors that support and hinder recovery and adjustment after traumatic brain injury: a qualitative multiple case study

Background/Aims

The numbers of individuals acquiring brain injuries in childhood is increasing. The deficits caused by brain injury can often have long-term implications that require support from caregivers, friends and the community. This study was conducted to gain an understanding of the shared perspectives of parental caregivers and their adolescent children as to what factors supported and hindered recovery and adjustment after traumatic brain injury.

Methods

In this qualitative multiple case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of four individuals with traumatic brain injury and their five parental caregivers. A thematic, cross-case analysis was used to identify factors that support and hinder recovery and adjustment.

Results

Seven themes were identified from the interviews: lack of educational resources about traumatic brain injury; poor consistency of care; caregiver stress and guilt; disconnection and isolation; connection, empathy and social support; being high achieving and resourceful; and authentic relationships between adolescents with traumatic brain injury and their parents.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the need for improved access to follow-up or community-based services for adolescents with traumatic brain injury who do not experience a hospital or inpatient rehabilitation stay. Additionally, healthcare providers should capitalise on the relationships between adolescents with traumatic brain injury and their parents to support recovery. The information gained from this study can be used to inform allied health professionals when developing and implementing interventions to support recovery in adolescents with traumatic brain injury and their parental caregivers.

Neurostimulation for Functional Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Evidence and Future Directions for Invasive Surgical Approaches

We aim to provide a comprehensive review of the current scientific evidence supporting the use of invasive neurostimulation in the treatment of deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as to identify future directions for research and highlight important questions that remain unaddressed. Neurostimulation is a treatment modality with expanding applications in modern medical practice. Targeted electrical stimulation of specific brain regions has been shown to increase synaptogenesis and enhance structural reorganization of neuronal networks. This underlying therapeutic effect might be of high value for patients suffering from TBI because it could modulate neuronal connectivity and function of areas that are partially or completely spared after injury. The current published literature exploring the application of invasive neurostimulation for the treatment of functional deficits associated with TBI is scarce but promising. Rodent models have shown that targeted stimulation of the hippocampus or connecting structures can result in significant cognitive recovery, while stimulation of the motor cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei is associated with motor improvements. Data from clinical studies are extremely limited; single-patient reports and case series found neurostimulation to be effective in relieving motor symptoms, improving visuospatial memory, and supporting emotional adjustment. Looking forward, it will be important to identify stimulation targets and paradigms that can maximize improvement over multiple functional domains. It will also be important to corroborate the observed behavioral improvements with histological, electrophysiological, and radiological evidence. Finally, the impact of biological variables such as sex and age on the treatment outcomes needs to be explored.

Effect of Core Stability Training on Unstable Support Surfaces in Postoperative Rehabilitation of Thoracolumbar Vertebral Compression Fractures in the Elderly

Objective

Thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures (TVCF) are caused by anterior flexion or vertical downward violence to the spine (Sezer et al. 2021). This study is aimed at investigating the effect of core stability training (CST) on unstable support surfaces in the postoperative rehabilitation of TVCF in the elderly. Methods. Ninety-eight patients with TVCF who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital from July 2021 to April 2022 were selected as study subjects. Then, they were divided into a research group receiving unstable support surface CST and a control group with conventional rehabilitation training according to the random number table method. Before and after the training, the X-ray machine was positioned and the anterior margin and middle height ratio and the posterior convex Cobb angle of the injured vertebrae were observed, and the balance detector was used to detect patients' eye opening and closing trajectory length, Romberg rate, and to perform gait test. Patients' pain, lumbar spine function, and quality of life were subsequently assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI), Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOL-74), and patient satisfaction with rehabilitation was investigated. Results. After rehabilitation training, there was no statistically marked difference in eye-opening trajectory length between both groups (P > 0.05). The research group had higher scores than the control group in all dimensions of the anterior border of the injured vertebra, middle height ratio, and GQOL-74, while the posterior convex Cobb angle, closed-eye trajectory length, Romberg rate, VAS, and ODI were lower than the control group (P < 0.05). The research group also revealed better gait improvement and higher rehabilitation satisfaction than the control group after training (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Unstable support surface CST can effectively improve postoperative vertebral body rehabilitation, balance function, gait, pain conditions, and lumbar spine function in elderly TVCF patients, and enhance their quality of life and rehabilitation satisfaction. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2000014547.

The Association Between Early Versus Late Physical Therapy Initiation and Outcomes of Trauma Patients With and Without Traumatic Brain Injuries

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of literature regarding the most effective timing to initiate physical therapy (PT) among traumatically injured patients. We aim to evaluate the association between early PT/mobilization versus delayed or late PT/mobilization and clinical outcomes of trauma patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort analysis of an urban level-I trauma center from 2014 to 2019 was performed. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed with significance defined as P < 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 11,937 patients were analyzed. Among patients without a traumatic brain injury (TBI), late PT initiation times were associated with 60% lower odds of being discharged home without services (P < 0.05), significantly increased hospital and ICU length of stay (H-LOS, ICU-LOS) (P < 0.05), and significantly higher odds of complications (VTE, pneumonia, pressure ulcers, ARDS) (P < 0.001). Among patients with a TBI, late PT initiation time had 76% lower odds of being discharged home without services (P < 0.05) and significantly longer H-LOS and ICU-LOS (P < 0.05) however did not experience significantly higher odds of complications (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Among traumatically injured patients, early PT is associated with decreased odds of complications, shorter H-LOS and ICU-LOS, and a favorable discharge disposition to home without services. Adoption of early PT initiation/mobilization protocols and establishment of prophylactic measures against complications associated with delayed PT is critical to maximize quality of care and trauma patient outcomes. Multi-center prospective studies are needed to ascertain the impact of PT initiation times in greater detail and to minimize trauma patient morbidity.

Revisiting Excitotoxicity in Traumatic Brain Injury: From Bench to Bedside

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Consequences vary from mild cognitive impairment to death and, no matter the severity of subsequent sequelae, it represents a high burden for affected patients and for the health care system. Brain trauma can cause neuronal death through mechanical forces that disrupt cell architecture, and other secondary consequences through mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress, programmed cell death, and, most importantly, excitotoxicity. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the many classical and novel pathways implicated in tissue damage following TBI. We summarize the preclinical evidence of potential therapeutic interventions and describe the available clinical evaluation of novel drug targets such as vitamin B12 and ifenprodil, among others.

Early Intensive Rehabilitation for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Pilot Trial

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of early intensive rehabilitation management on the recovery of motor function and activities of daily living in patients with moderate traumatic brain injury.

METHODS

Eighty-seven patients (age range, 18-65 years) with traumatic brain injury that met the enrollment criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 received early and high-intensity rehabilitation management (from 7 days after injury, 7 d/wk, 4 times/d, 1 h/session) for 4 weeks; group 2 received ordinary rehabilitation (from 14 days after injury, 5 d/wk, 2 times/d, 1 h/session) for 4 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA, motor function) and Barthel Index (BI) were used to assess the daily living functional state before treatment, 3 months after injury, and 6 months after injury. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was used to assess outcomes 6 months after injury.

RESULTS

Three months after rehabilitation, the FMA (motor function) score was significantly higher in the early intensive intervention group versus the control group (59.83 ± 11.87 vs. 44.56 ± 8.32, respectively; P < 0.05); no significant between-group differences were found in the GCS score or BI score (P > 0.05). Six months after rehabilitation, the FMA score and BI score were significantly higher in the early intensive intervention group versus the control group (FMA: 73.18 ± 16.55 vs. 57.86 ± 10.67, P < 0.01; BI: 87.17 ± 13.85 vs. 60.68 ± 11.98, P < 0.01, respectively). The GCS score was higher in the early intensive intervention group versus the control group (4.24 ± 0.91 vs. 3.43 ± 0.88, P < 0.05, respectively) 6 months after injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Early intensive rehabilitation management might be more beneficial for neurologic function and activities of daily living in patients with moderate traumatic brain injury.

Characteristics of traumatic brain injury during Operation Enduring Freedom–Afghanistan: a retrospective case series

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among members of the armed services. Injuries sustained in the battlefield are subject to different mechanisms than those sustained in civilian life, particularly blast and high-velocity injury. Due to the unique nature of these injuries and the challenges associated with battlefield medicine, surgical interventions play a key role in acute management of TBI. However, the burden of chronic disease posed by TBI is poorly understood and difficult to investigate, especially in the military setting. The authors report the case logs of a United States Navy neurosurgeon, detailing the acute management and outcomes of 156 patients sustaining TBI between November 2010 and May 2011 during the war in Afghanistan. By demographics, more than half of the patients treated were local nationals. By mechanism of injury, blunt trauma (40.4%) and explosive injury (37.2%) were the most common contributors to TBI. Decompressive craniectomies (24.0%) and clot evacuations (14.7%) were the procedures most commonly performed. Nearly one-quarter of patients were transferred to receive further care, yet only 3 patients were referred for rehabilitative services. Furthermore, the data suggest that patients sustaining comorbid injuries in addition to TBI may be predisposed to worse outcomes. Improvements in documentation of military patients may improve knowledge of TBI and further identify potential variables or treatments that may affect prognosis. The increased survivability from TBI also highlights the need for additional research expenditure in the field of neurorehabilitation specifically.