NAMIKI JUN

A considerable number of patients with mild traumatic brain injury have been known to “talk and die.” Serial neurological examinations, however, have been the only method of determining the necessity of repeat computed tomography (CT), and no validated method has been available to predict early deterioration of minor head injury. This study aimed to evaluate the association between hypertension and bradycardia, a classic sign of raised intracranial pressure (Cushing reflex) on hospital arrival and determine the clinical consequences of minor head injury after blunt trauma. We created a new Cushing Index (CI) by dividing the systolic blood pressure by the heart rate (equaling the inverse number of the Shock Index, a score for hemodynamic stability) and hypothesized that a high CI would predict surgical intervention for deterioration and in-hospital death among patients with minor head injury. To test our hypothesis, a retrospective observational study was conducted using a nationwide trauma database. Accordingly, adult blunt trauma with minor head injury (defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale of 13–15 and Abbreviated Injury Scale score of ≥2 in the head) who were transported directly from the scene by ambulances were included. Among the 338,744 trauma patients identified in the database, 38,844 were eligible for inclusion. A restricted cubic spline regression curve for risks of in-hospital death was created using the CI. Thereafter, the thresholds were determined based on inflection points of the curve, and patients were divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-CI groups. Patients with high CI showed significantly higher in-hospital mortality rates compared with those with intermediate CI (351 [3.0%] vs. 373 [2.3%]; odds ratio [OR] = 1.32 [1.14–1.53]; p  < 0.001). Patients with high index also had a higher incidence of emergency cranial surgery within 24h after arrival than those with an intermediate CI (746 [6.4%] vs. 879 [5.4%]; OR = 1.20 [1.08–1.33]; p  < 0.001). In addition, patients with low CI (equal to high Shock Index, meaning hemodynamically unstable) showed higher in-hospital death compared with those with intermediate CI (360 [3.3%] vs. 373 [2.3%]; p  < 0.001). In conclusion, a high CI (high systolic blood pressure and low heart rate) on hospital arrival would be helpful in identifying patients with minor head injury who might experience deterioration and need close observation.

Case An 89‐year‐old man fell from stairs and sustained head trauma. He was taking warfarin and aspirin. Upon arrival at our hospital, his Glasgow Coma Scale score was 14. Initial head computed tomography showed small acute subdural hematoma. We immediately administered vitamin K and ordered fresh‐frozen plasma. Repeat computed tomography 3 and 6 h after trauma revealed the acute subdural hematoma had increased to 14 and 20 mm, respectively, and there were several new intracranial hemorrhages. Fresh‐frozen plasma and platelet transfusion were initiated. Outcome Follow‐up computed tomography revealed no further progression of intracranial hemorrhages, and the patient's consciousness did not deteriorate further. Conclusion Appropriate administration of vitamin K, fresh‐frozen plasma, and platelets successfully arrested progression of traumatic intracranial hemorrhages in this patient taking anticoagulant/antiplatelet agents and may have averted brain surgery.

Background. Images of head CT for the supratentorial compartment are sometimes recommended to be reconstructed with a thickness of 8–10 mm to achieve lesion conspicuity. However, additional images of a thin slice may not be routinely provided for patients with trauma in the emergency room (ER). We investigated the diagnostic sensitivity of a head CT, where axial images were 10 mm thick slices, in cases of linear skull fractures.Methods. Two trauma surgeons retrospectively reviewed head CT with 10 mm slices and skull X-rays of patients admitted to the ER that were diagnosed with a linear skull fracture. All patients had undergone both head CT and skull X-rays ().Result. The diagnostic sensitivity of head CT with a thickness of sequential 10 mm was 89% for all linear skull fractures but only 56% for horizontal fractures. This CT technique with 10 mm slices missed 6% of patients with linear skull fractures. False-negative diagnoses were significantly more frequent for older (≥55 years) than for young (<15 years) individuals ().Conclusions. A routine head CT of the supratentorial region for patients in the ER with head injuries requires both thick-slice images to visualize cerebral hemispheres and thin-slice images to detect skull fractures of the cranial vault.