Hyperglycemia: A Predictor of Death in Severe Head Injury Patients

Management of hyperglycemia during an acute sickness in adults is accompanied by improved outcomes. We have designed a prospective study with meticulous attention to exclude all diabetes patients by checking hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c or glycated hemoglobin) to avoid the ill-effects of hyperglycemia in patients with traumatic head injury admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

This prospective study included adults with traumatic primary brain injury with a Glasgow coma score of ≤8 necessitating mechanical ventilation treated in the period 2012-2015. After screening 311 patients, 220 were included in the study. Both blood glucose and HbA1c levels of all the patients at admission, as well as blood glucose level after 72 hours, were obtained from the records. The patients were later grouped based on their admission blood glucose levels (<200 mg/dL or ≥200 mg/dL). Injury severity score (ISS) was documented for every patient. As a final point, the outcomes were determined based on the hospital length of stay (HLS) and ICU length of stay (ILS), plusmortality rates.

About 39% (n = 85) of patients were admitted with hyperglycemia during the study period. The mortality rate in patients with glucose ≥200 mg/dL was 65.8% (N = 56), against 23.7% (N = 32) in the group with glucose <200 mg/dL, with mortality rising as the blood glucose level increased (P = 0.014).

We conclude that admission hyperglycemia is related with increased mortality rate in head injury patients, and comprehensive treatment of hyperglycemia can improve the outcome of severe head injury patients.