Does treatment delay for blunt cerebrovascular injury affect stroke rate?: An EAST multicenter study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to analyze injury characteristics and stroke rates between blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) with delayed vs non-delayed medical therapy. We hypothesized there would be increased stroke formation with delayed medical therapy.

METHODS

This is a sub-analysis of a 16 center, prospective, observational trial on BCVI. Delayed medial therapy was defined as initiation >24 hours after admission. BCVI which did not receive medical therapy were excluded. Subgroups for injury presence were created using Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score >0 for AIS categories.

RESULTS

636 BCVI were included. Median time to first medical therapy was 62 hours in the delayed group and 11 hours in the non-delayed group (p < 0.001). The injury severity score (ISS) was greater in the delayed group (24.0 vs the non-delayed group 22.0, p <  0.001) as was the median AIS head score (2.0 vs 1.0, p <  0.001). The overall stroke rate was not different between the delayed vs non-delayed groups respectively (9.7% vs 9.5%, p = 1.00). Further evaluation of carotid vs vertebral artery injury showed no difference in stroke rate, 13.6% and 13.2%, p = 1.00 vs 7.3% and 6.5%, p = 0.84. Additionally, within all AIS categories there was no difference in stroke rate between delayed and non-delayed medical therapy (all N.S.), with AIS head >0 13.8% vs 9.2%, p = 0.20 and AIS spine >0 11.0% vs 9.3%, p = 0.63 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Modern BCVI therapy is administered early. BCVI with delayed therapy were more severely injured. However, a higher stroke rate was not seen with delayed therapy, even for BCVI with head or spine injuries. This data suggests with competing injuries or other clinical concerns there is not an increased stroke rate with necessary delays of medical treatment for BCVI.

Statistical learning of blunt cerebrovascular injury risk factors using the elastic net

PURPOSE

To compare logistic regression to elastic net for identifying and ranking clinical risk factors for blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive trauma patients undergoing screening CTA at a level 1 trauma center over a 2-year period. Each internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) was independently graded by 2 neuroradiologists using the Denver grading scale. Unadjusted odds ratios were calculated by univariate and adjusted odds ratios by multiple logistic regression with FDR correction. We applied logistic regression with the elastic net penalty and tenfold cross-validation.

RESULTS

Total of 467 patients; 73 patients with BCVI. Maxillofacial fracture, basilar skull fracture, and GCS had significant unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for ICA injury and C-spine fracture, spinal ligamentous injury, and age for VA injury. Only transverse foramen fracture had significant adjusted OR for VA injury, with none for ICA injury, after FDR correction. Using elastic net, ICA injury variables included maxillofacial fracture, basilar skull fracture, GCS, and carotid canal fracture. For VA injury, these included cervical spine transverse foramen fracture, ligamentous injury, C1-C3 fractures, posterior element fracture, and vertebral body fracture.

CONCLUSION

Elastic net statistical learning methods identified additional risk factors and outperformed multiple logistic regression for BCVI. Elastic net allows the study of a large number of variables, and is useful when covariates are correlated.

Endovascular Management of a Combined Subclavian and Vertebral Artery Injury in an Unstable Polytrauma Patient: Case Report and Literature Review

While blunt trauma of the head and neck are a common pattern of injury, significant problems related to the prompt diagnosis and optimal management of traumatic artery injuries have been reported in the literature. While patients with major artery injuries might develop hemorrhagic shock very rapidly, patients with blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) can present asymptomatic, but complications like basilar territory infarction, cortical blindness and death may occur. We report the life- and limb-saving management in a 57-year-old hemodynamically unstable trauma patient. The individual developed hemorrhagic shock, and other major complications, including cortical blindness, related to a posterior circulation stroke. Full recovery was achieved by immediate endovascular prosthesis for subclavian artery (SA) rupture and stenting of a traumatic vertebral artery occlusion. Endovascular and alternative treatment options are discussed and the management of subsequent sequelae associated with aggressive anticoagulation in trauma patients is reviewed, including intracranial, abdominal and other sites of secondary hemorrhage.