What do You Expect from Patients with Severe Head Trauma?

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Chemistry
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in adolescents.
• Previous studies on laboratory changes and prognostic factors in TBI have yielded controversial results.
• This study investigates laboratory and arterial blood gas (ABG) changes in TBI patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate alterations in laboratory findings and ABG tests upon admission in severe TBI patients.
• To determine the relationship between these laboratory changes and patient outcomes.
• To identify specific laboratory markers that correlate with prognosis in TBI.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of laboratory and metabolic variables in severe TBI patients versus normal subjects.
• Measurement of laboratory variables and ABG on admission for TBI patients.
• Correlation analysis between measured variables and patient prognosis (discharge vs. expiration).

Main Results:

• Significant increases observed in prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen, white blood cell count, and electrolytes (Na+, K+).
• Significant decreases noted in hemoglobin and platelet count.
• Arterial blood gas analysis revealed significant differences in PaCO2, HCO3, and SO2.
• PT, INR, Cr, and Na+ levels showed significant differences between discharged and expired patients.

Conclusions:

• Laboratory variables demonstrably change in patients with severe TBI.
• Specific laboratory markers, particularly PT, INR, Cr, and Na+, are influential on patient prognosis.
• These findings highlight the importance of monitoring specific laboratory parameters for predicting outcomes in TBI.