Impact of Secondary Insults in Brain Death After Traumatic Brain Injury

In addition to primary injury in severe head trauma, secondary systemic insults that aggravate the brain injury may result in fatal neurologic outcome. We aim to evaluate the correlation between brain death and secondary systemic insults in 100 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to the intensive care unit. We collected data on hypotension and hypoxemia at the time of admission to intensive care unit and data on hypotension, hypoxemia, hypocarbia, hypercarbia, shock, anemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperthermia within the first 24 hours. In addition, we recorded the category of TBI according to computed tomography findings. Twenty-six patients (26%) who developed brain death were significantly younger than survivors. Early hypotension (odds ratio [OR], 10.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.64-28.78; P = .000) and early shock (OR, 8.31; 95% CI, 2.65-26.01; P = .000) were significantly more frequent among brain-death patients. The most featured factor that independently predicted the development of brain death in patients with severe TBI was the existence of hypotension (B-2.74; 95% CI, 0.016-0.252; P = .000). The most common type of injury among brain death patients was a surgically evacuated mass lesion. Although all critical care principles are applied to prevent secondary systemic brain insults, when brain death occurs, the prevention of hypotension will become significant in preserving organs in better condition for procurement.