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Long-term outcome of children with severe head trauma and prolonged coma
Insights
Most children with severe head trauma and prolonged coma recover well, with many showing mild or no lasting cognitive or motor deficits. Intensive care improves survival rates and limits severe disability in pediatric head injury survivors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Traumatic Brain Injury Research
Background:
- Severe head trauma in children can lead to prolonged coma.
- Long-term outcomes for pediatric patients with severe head injuries are crucial for understanding recovery trajectories.
Abstract:
Forty-six children with significant head trauma who remained in coma more than 24 hours were the subjects of this long-term outcome study. Twelve (38%) died. The average length of coma in the 34 survivors was 15.5 days. Follow-up ranged from 9 months to 4 years (mean 21 months). Twenty-nine percent of the survivors were normal at follow-up. An additional 53% had mild cognitive or behavioral problems, but 61% of these had evidence of similar problems prior to the injury. Nine percent of survivors had motor residua but normal intellect. Nine percent had severe intellectual and motor problems. Children less than 2 years of age had a worse outcome. Despite severe injury and prolonged coma after head trauma, most children do well. Intensive medical and surgical care increases the rate of survival and does not result in a large number of severely disabled survivors.