J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2023 Feb;34(1):48-54.

Association between prehospital oxygen saturation and 30-day mortality in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury

• Lee JW
• Lee DH
• Lee JH
• Lee BK

Abstract

Objective
The present study analyzes the prognostic performance of prehospital oxygen saturation (SpO₂) for 30-day mortality in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods
This retrospective observational study included patients with severe isolated TBI admitted through the prehospital emergency medical services system between January 2019 and December 2020. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression of relevant covariates, including prehospital SpO₂, for predicting 30-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristics analysis examined the prognostic performance of prehospital SpO₂. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality.
Results
A total of 189 patients were included in the study. The 30-day mortality rate was determined to be 16.9% (n=32). Prehospital SpO₂ of survivors was higher than that of non-survivors—98% (95%-98%) vs. 89% (81%-97%). Results of multivariate analysis revealed that prehospital SpO₂ (odds ratio, 0.868; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.789-0.954) is independently associated with 30-day mortality. The area under the curve of prehospital SpO₂ was 0.768 (95% CI, 0.701-0.826; P<0.001).
Conclusion
Results of the present study indicate that prehospital SpO₂ is associated with 30-day mortality in patients with severe isolated TBI. Therefore, determining the prehospital SpO₂ will help to rapidly classify and transport patients with TBI to the appropriate hospital.

Keyword

Traumatic brain injuries; Mortality; Oxygen saturation; Prognosis