Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
05:30

Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: August 5, 2014

29.8K

Traumatic Brain Injury and Infectious Encephalopathy in Children From Four Resource-Limited Settings in Africa

Ericka L Fink1,2, Amelie von Saint Andre-von Arnim3, Rashmi Kumar4

  • 1Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA.

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|April 18, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric traumatic brain injury and infectious encephalopathy present differently in low-resource settings. Improved neurocritical care protocols are essential for better outcomes in these vulnerable children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric neurology
  • Global health
  • Neurocritical care

Background:

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and infectious encephalopathy are significant causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide.
  • Low-resource settings face unique challenges in managing these conditions due to limited healthcare infrastructure and resources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the frequency, interventions, and outcomes of children with TBI or infectious encephalopathy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • To identify differences in presentation, management, and outcomes between TBI and infectious encephalopathy in children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study conducted in four hospitals across Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Consecutive enrollment of 130 children (1 day to 17 years) with TBI or infectious encephalopathy over a 4-week period.
  • Assessment of Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scores pre-morbidity and at discharge; data on prehospital care and transport were also collected.

Main Results:

  • Traumatic brain injury (45%) and infectious encephalopathy affected 130 children; 46% had no prehospital care, and 64% required interhospital transport.
  • While altered mental state was similar, TBI cases were more likely to have loss of consciousness (80% vs 53%), were older, and more likely male.
  • Infectious encephalopathy cases more frequently had seizures (69% vs 12%), and longer hospital stays (8 days vs 4 days), with higher mortality (13% vs 1%).
  • Survival with normal or mild disability was similar for both conditions (73% TBI vs 79% infectious encephalopathy).

Conclusions:

  • Epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric TBI and infectious encephalopathy vary by location and specific disease.
  • There is a critical need to enhance neurocritical care protocols, encompassing pre-hospital, hospital, and rehabilitative phases, to improve outcomes in low-resource settings.
Abstract

More Related Videos

A Novel Method to Model Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Drosophila10:15

A Novel Method to Model Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Drosophila

Published on: July 4, 2017

8.7K
A Mouse Model of Single and Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury04:19

A Mouse Model of Single and Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: June 20, 2017

11.7K

Related Concept Videos

Short-distance Transport of Resources02:12

Short-distance Transport of Resources

Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
17.8K
Limiting Reactant02:27

Limiting Reactant

The relative amounts of reactants and products represented in a balanced chemical equation are often referred to as stoichiometric amounts. However, in reality, the reactants are not always present in the stoichiometric amounts indicated by the balanced equation.
70.4K
The Number e as a Limit01:29

The Number e as a Limit

The number e is a fundamental constant in calculus, playing a central role in describing continuous change, particularly exponential growth. It is most naturally defined through its relationship with the natural logarithm, which is the inverse of the exponential function with base e. This relationship allows e to be characterized using basic principles of differentiation rather than as an arbitrary numerical constant.A key property of the natural logarithm function, ln x, is that its derivative...
101
Types of Limits I01:23

Types of Limits I

Limits are a key mathematical concept for understanding how functions behave as their input approaches specific values, particularly when the function is undefined. They help reveal trends and discontinuities by examining the values a function approaches rather than its actual value.One-sided limits focus on the direction from which a value is approached. When a function behaves differently depending on whether the input approaches from the left or the right, the two one-sided limits may not...
209
Limit Laws I01:25

Limit Laws I

Limit laws provide essential tools for analyzing how functions behave as their input approaches a specific value. These laws are particularly useful when dealing with combinations of functions, provided the individual limits exist. The Sum and Difference Laws state that the limit of the sum or difference of two functions equals the sum or difference of their respective limits:The Product Law asserts that the limit of the product of two functions equals the product of their individual limits:A...
233
Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
593