Prognostic Factors and Its Utility in Severe Head Injured Patient

Lee, Byung Gon; Han, Byung Kab; Kim, Tae Yjoung; Kim, Jong Moon

Abstract

The prognosis of severe head injured patients (Glasgow coma scale 3 to 8) was assessed through clinical prognostic factors in 209 cases, retrospectively. Severe head injured patients were 9.1% of all head trauma and 55% of cases were diffuse brain injury. Mechanism of injury were motorvehicle accident, falls, bicycle, and others. The patients with normal pupillary reaction had a significantly higher percentage of good outcome (77%) than the patient with bilateral 3rd nerve palsy (14.2%)(p<0.0001), 79% of good motor responsive patients had a good outcome compared to none of patients with poor motor response(p<0.0001). The patients with short duration of unawareness(within 30days) significantly higher percentage of good outcome(98%) than the patients with long duration of unawaereness(24%)(p<0.0001). The patients with initial high GCS score(6-8 score) had a significantly higher good outcome(58%) than the patients with low GCS score(3-5 score)(p<0.0001), 87% of pediatric patients had a good outcome compared to 38% of adults(p<0.0001). The diffuse head injured patients without basal cistern compression had a significantly hgher percentage of good outcome(83%) than the patients with basal cistern compression(41%)(p<0.0001), 62% of patients with skull fracture had a good outcome compared to 39% of patients without skull fracture(39%)(p<0.0017). Individual prognostic factors affect to patient's outcome and utilize to be powerful tool for assessing the relative efficacy of alternative treatments as well as patient's prognosis.