Early Pupil Abnormality Frequency Predicts Poor Outcomes and Enhances International Mission for Prognosis and...

In patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), baseline pupillary assessment is routine; however, the occurrence rate and clinical significance of pupil abnormalities over the early course of hospitalization remain poorly characterized.

To determine whether the occurrence and frequency of pupil abnormalities within the first 72 hours of ICU admission are associated with unfavorable discharge outcomes and to assess whether incorporating this frequency improves the performance of an established prognostic model.

This was a retrospective observational study of adults admitted with a primary diagnosis of TBI to a single tertiary care ICU between 2018 and 2022. Inclusion criteria included at least three quantitative pupillometry assessments within the first 72 hours.

Quantitative pupillometry was used to calculate the Neurological Pupil index (NPi) at each assessment. Abnormalities were defined as NPi less than 3 in either eye, NPi asymmetry greater than or equal to 0.7, or pupil size asymmetry greater than or equal to 1 mm. The primary outcome was unfavorable discharge disposition (death, hospice, or long-term care). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between pupil abnormality frequency and outcomes, and model performance was compared using goodness-of-fit tests with and without pupil frequency added to the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in TBI (IMPACT) model.

Among 131 patients (median age, 59 yr; 30% women), 35% had an unfavorable discharge disposition. Pupil abnormalities occurred in 60% of mild, 61% of moderate, and 88% of severe TBI patients. For each 1% increase in the frequency of pupil abnormalities over 72 hours, the odds of unfavorable discharge increased by 3% (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05). Adding pupil abnormality frequency to the IMPACT model improved its goodness-of-fit (χ2 = 5.24; p = 0.02).

Pupil abnormalities are common across TBI severities, particularly in severe cases. A higher frequency of abnormal pupil measurements within the first 72 hours is associated with unfavorable outcomes and significantly enhances the predictive performance of established TBI prognostic models. Serial quantitative pupillometry may offer clinically valuable, dynamic prognostic information in the acute care setting.