Survival and mortality following TBI

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) significantly impacts patient survival and necessitates accurate life expectancy (LE) evaluations.
• LE assessment is crucial for patient service planning and addressing medico-legal aspects.
• Previous studies suggest varying LE outcomes post-TBI, highlighting the need for detailed analysis by injury severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the life expectancy (LE) of patients who survived traumatic brain injury (TBI) for at least two years post-injury.
• To compare the LE of TBI survivors with the general population (GP).
• To determine the relationship between TBI severity and life expectancy.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 279 TBI patients was followed for 22-27 years.
• Survival data were analyzed using standard mortality ratio (SMR), Kaplan-Meier (KM) methods, and Cox proportional hazards regression (PH).
• Life expectancy was calculated based on injury severity (mild, moderate, severe).

Main Results:

• The overall standard mortality ratio (SMR) for the cohort was 1.86, indicating a reduced life expectancy.
• Life expectancy was significantly impacted by injury severity (p < 0.0001).
• Estimated LE reduction was -0.51 years for mild TBI, 4.11 years for moderate TBI, and 13.77 years for severe TBI, compared to the GP.

Conclusions:

• Patients with mild TBI exhibit a life expectancy comparable to the general population.
• Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries are associated with a significant reduction in life expectancy.
• These findings underscore the importance of TBI severity in predicting long-term survival and planning patient care.