BACKGROUND

Penetrating brain injury (PBI) is a leading cause of combat mortality but local outcome data is limited. The authors examined combat-related PBI cases to describe patient characteristics and identify clinical and radiologic predictors of functional recovery

This is a retrospective cohort study of military personnel aged 18–56 years with combat-related PBI referred to VLGH AFPMC between January 2017 to June 2022. The authors collected demographics data, injury mechanism, pre-hospital and transfer details, admission clinical and radiologic findings, treatments, and follow-up outcomes. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), dichotomized into unfavorable (GOS 1–3) and favorable (GOS 4–5), was used to assess functional status. Associations were tested with Fisher’s Exact Test.

Thirty-seven patients met inclusion criteria: 31 survivors with follow-up and 6 who died in hospital. All were male; gunshot wounds accounted for 81% of injuries. At a median follow-up of 27 months, among survivors, 74% had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15 and 45% achieved good recovery (GOS 5). Pre-hospital timing measures (evacuation time, interval to surgery, and transfer delays) were not significantly associated with outcome. Favorable outcomes correlated strongly with higher admission GCS (p < 0.001), preserved baseline motor function (p < 0.001), smaller hemorrhage volume (p = 0.01), and injury limited to a single lobe (p < 0.001). Unfavorable outcomes were associated with intracranial infection, post-traumatic seizures, and need for multiple surgeries (all p < 0.001).

Functional recovery after combat-related PBI in this cohort was principally determined by initial neurologic status, injury extent, and subsequent complications The lack of association with pre-hospital timing possibly reflects survivorship bias and incomplete capture of early fatalities.

Introduction: Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is characterized by impaired arginine vasopressin secretion, resulting in hypotonic polyuria and hypernatremia. In patients with coexisting diabetes mellitus, persistent polyuria may be misattributed to hyperglycemia, delaying recognition of a concurrent water balance disorder. CDI without identifiable structural abnormalities may be overlooked, leading to delayed diagnosis and complications. Case: We report a 30-year-old Malay female with underlying type 2 diabetes mellitus and premorbid obesity who presented with hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, accompanied by persistent polyuria, polydipsia, weight gain, and amenorrhea. Despite resolution of hyperglycemia, she had ongoing polyuria with hypernatremia, raising suspicion of a concomitant water balance disorder. Biochemical evaluation demonstrated a hyperosmolar state with serum osmolality 334 mOsm/kg and inappropriately dilute urine (urine osmolality 254 mOsm/kg), supporting impaired vasopressin activity. A modified water deprivation test showed a >50% rise in urine osmolality following desmopressin, consistent with CDI. Diabetes autoantibody screening was negative. Anterior pituitary function was preserved, with normal thyroid and adrenal axes (thyroidstimulating hormone 3.30 mIU/L, cortisol 290.6 nmol/L), and gonadotropins not suggestive of hypopituitarism (luteinizing hormone 6.8 IU/L, follicle-stimulating hormone 24.6 IU/L). Neuroimaging with computed tomography brain showed no structural hypothalamic–pituitary lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary demonstrated absence of the posterior pituitary bright spot, with preserved gland morphology and no focal lesion, supporting CDI without an identifiable structural cause. Her clinical course was complicated by severe hospitalacquired infection leading to septic shock, requiring intensive care support, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapy. She was commenced on desmopressin, with subsequent clinical and biochemical improvement, alongside multidisciplinary management. Conclusion In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, persistent polyuria may obscure an underlying water balance disorder. This case highlights the importance of considering alternative causes of polyuria and a systematic endocrine approach to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Coma ; Diabetes Insipidus

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin (Alb) ratio combined with platelet count (PLT) and Glasgow coma score (GCS) in patients with heat stroke (HS). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of HS patients admitted to the department of intensive care unit (ICU) of Nanchong Central Hospital from May 1, 2020 to October 31, 2023. This included general information, admission GCS, laboratory indicators and 28-day prognosis. The differences in the above indicators were compared between two groups of patients with different prognoses. Statistically significant indicators from univariate analysis were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis to screen for factors influencing 28-day mortality in HS patients. The predictive value of various influencing factors on the 28 days prognosis of HS patients were analyzed by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). RESULTS: A total of 73 HS patients were included, of whom 41 survived for 28-day and 32 died. There were no statistically significant differences in gender and age between the two groups of HS patients with different prognoses. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NEU), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), CRP, and CRP/Alb ratio in the death group were significantly higher than those of the survival group, and the admission GCS score, platelet count (PLT), total bilirubin (TBil) and Alb were significantly lower than the survival group [WBC (×10⁹/L): 14.80 (11.44, 17.15) vs. 11.96 (9.47, 14.82), NEU (×10⁹/L): 13.05 (8.56, 15.67) vs. 9.50 (6.68, 12.09), AST (U/L): 108.00 (52.70, 291.50) vs. 64.50 (38.25, 110.50), ALT (U/L): 62.00 (19.50, 159.00) vs. 34.50 (20.75, 70.75), CRP (mg/L): 22.49 (3.42, 58.93) vs. 3.68 (1.01, 11.46), CRP/Alb ratio: 0.53 (0.08, 1.77) vs. 0.08 (0.02, 0.44), GCS score: 7.0 (5.0, 8.0) vs. 8.5 (7.0, 11.0), PLT (×10⁹/L): 107.00 (73.50, 126.00) vs. 131.50 (107.50, 176.25), TBil (mmol/L): 15.60 (10.00, 25.30) vs. 21.40 (14.80, 30.05), Alb (g/L): 32.65 (32.53, 49.30) vs. 38.70 (36.20, 40.40), all P < 0.05]. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the GCS score [odds ratio (OR) = 0.686, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.491-0.959, P = 0.028], PLT (OR = 0.973, 95%CI was 0.954-0.992, P = 0.005), NEU (OR = 1.312, 95%CI was 1.072-1.606, P = 0.009) and CRP/Alb ratio (OR = 7.652, 95%CI was 1.632-35.881, P = 0.010) were independent influencing factors for 28-day mortality in HS patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of GCS score, PLT, and CRP/Alb ratio for single prediction of 28-day prognosis in HS patients was 0.705, 0.752, and 0.729, and the combination of all three predicted the highest AUC of 28-day prognosis in HS patients (0.917), with a sensitivity and specificity of 86.2% and 81.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION CRP/Alb ratio, PLT, and GCS score are independent influencing factors affecting the prognosis of HS patients, and all of them have a certain predictive value for the prognosis of HS patients, in which the combination of the three has a higher predictive value for the prognosis of HS patients.
Humans ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Prognosis ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Retrospective Studies ; Heat Stroke/diagnosis* ; Platelet Count ; Male ; Female ; Serum Albumin/analysis* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; ROC Curve

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum chloride levels and prognosis in patients with hepatic coma in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We analyzed 545 patients with hepatic coma in the ICU from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Associations between serum chloride levels and 28-day and 1-year mortality rates were assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCSs), Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves, and Cox regression. Subgroup analyses, external validation, and mechanistic studies were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 545 patients were included in the study. RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped association between serum chloride levels and mortality in patients with hepatic coma. The KM curves indicated lower survival rates among patients with low chloride levels (< 103 mmol/L). Low chloride levels were independently linked to increased 28-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates. In the multivariate models, the hazard ratio ( HR) for 28-day mortality in the low-chloride group was 1.424 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.041-1.949), while the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 1.313 (95% CI: 1.026-1.679). Subgroup analyses and external validation supported these findings. Cytological experiments suggested that low chloride levels may activate the phosphorylation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduce neuronal cell viability. CONCLUSION Low serum chloride levels are independently associated with increased mortality in patients with hepatic coma.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Chlorides/blood* ; Aged ; Coma/blood* ; Adult

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health issue that impacts individuals all over the world and is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity. Decompressive craniectomy is the usual course of treatment. Basal cisternostomy has been shown to be highly effective as an alternative procedure to decompressive craniectomy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort of patients who received surgery for severe TBI between January 2019 and March 2023. Inclusion criterias were patients between the ages of 18 and 70 years who met the diagnostic criteria for severe TBI at first presentation and who underwent surgical intervention. The exclusion criteria were patients who have severe multiple injuries at the time of admission; preoperative intracranial pressure > 60 mmHg; cognitive impairment before the onset of the disease; hematologic disorders; or impaired functioning of the heart, liver, kidneys, or other visceral organs. Depending on the surgical approach, the patients were categorized into decompressive craniectomy group as well as basal cisternostomy group. General data and postoperative indicators, including Glasgow coma scale, intracranial pressure, etc., were recorded for both groups of patients. Among them, the Glasgow outcome scale extended assessment at 6 months served as the primary outcome. After that, the data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The trial enrolled 41 patients (32 men and 9 women) who met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 25 patients received decompressive decompressive craniectomy, and 16 patients received basal cisternostomy. Three days postoperative intracranial pressure levels were 10.07 ± 2.94 mmHg and 17.15 ± 14.65 mmHg (p = 0.013), respectively. The 6 months following discharge Glasgow outcome scale extended of patients was 4.73 ± 2.28 and 3.14 ± 2.15 (p = 0.027), respectively. CONCLUSION Our study reveals that basal cisternostomy in patients with surgically treated severe TBI has demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing intracranial pressure as well as patient prognosis follow-up and avoids removal of the bone flap. The efficacy of cisternostomy has to be studied in larger, multi-clinical center randomized trials.
Humans ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Decompressive Craniectomy/methods* ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To analyze risk factors for severe trauma and establish a nomogram for early risk prediction, to improve the early identification of severe trauma. METHODS: This study was conducted on the patients treated in 81 trauma treatment institutions in Gansu province from 2020 to 2022. Patients were grouped by year, with 5364 patients from 2020 to 2021 as the training set and 1094 newly admitted patients in 2020 as the external validation set. Based on the injury severity score (ISS), patients in the training set were classified into 2 subgroups of the severe trauma group (n = 478, ISS scores ≥25) and the non-severe trauma group (n = 4886, ISS scores <25). Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify independent risk factors for severe trauma. Subsequently, a predictive model was developed using the R software environment. Furthermore, the model was subjected to internal and external validation via the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: In total, 6458 trauma patients were included in this study. Initially, this study identified several independent risk factors for severe trauma, including multiple traumatic injuries (polytrauma), external hemorrhage, elevated shock index, elevated respiratory rate, decreased peripheral oxygen saturation, and decreased Glasgow coma scale score (all p < 0.05). For internal validation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.914, with the sensitivity and specificity of 88.4% and 87.6%, respectively; while for external validation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.936, with the sensitivity and specificity of 84.6% and 93.7%, respectively. In addition, a good model fitting was observed through the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve analysis (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION This study establishes a nomogram for early risk prediction of severe trauma, which is suitable for primary healthcare institutions in underdeveloped western China. It facilitates early triage and quantitative assessment of trauma severity by clinicians prior to clinical interventions.
Humans ; Nomograms ; Male ; Female ; Wounds and Injuries/diagnosis* ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Injury Severity Score ; Risk Assessment ; ROC Curve ; Aged ; Logistic Models ; China ; Glasgow Coma Scale

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on paroxysmal sympathetic hyperexcitation (PSH) after brain injury. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted. Fifty-six patients with PSH who received HBO treatment from four hospitals in Henan Province from January 2021 to September 2023 were selected as the HBO group, and 36 patients with PSH who did not receive HBO treatment from Zhengzhou People's Hospital from May 2018 to December 2020 were selected as the control group. PSH assessment measure (PSH-AM) score [clinical feature scale (CFS) score+diagnostic likelihood tool (DLT) score] and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) were compared before and after HBO treatment, and between HBO group and control group to evaluate the effect of HBO treatment on prognosis of PSH patients. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, PSH etiology, GCS score, time from onset to occurrence of PSH, CFS score, CFS+DLT score and frequency of PSH episodes between the two groups, indicating comparability. The duration of HBO treatment ranged from 3 to 11 days for 56 patients receiving HBO treatment, and the duration of HBO treatment ranged from 3 to 5 courses. Compared with before treatment, after HBO treatment, PSH symptoms in HBO patients were significantly relieved (body temperature increase: 14.29% vs. 64.29%, heart rate increase: 25.00% vs. 98.21%, shortness of breath: 14.29% vs. 76.79%, blood pressure increase: 8.93% vs. 85.71%, sweating: 10.71% vs. 85.71%, muscle tone increased: 19.64% vs. 75.00%, all P < 0.05), CFS+DLT score decreased significantly (16.90±4.81 vs. 22.12±3.12, P < 0.01), GCS score improved (12.31±5.34 vs. 5.95±2.18, P < 0.01). After 30 days of hospitalization, compared with the control group, PSH symptoms in the HBO group were improved (body temperature increase: 14.29% vs. 19.44%, heart rate increase: 19.64% vs. 25.00%, shortness of breath: 10.71% vs. 27.78%, blood pressure increase: 7.14% vs. 22.22%, sweating: 8.93% vs. 25.00%, muscle tone increased: 19.64% vs. 38.89%, all P < 0.05 except body temperature increase), CFS+DLT score decreased (16.90±3.81 vs. 19.98±4.89, P < 0.05), GCS score increased (14.12±4.12 vs. 12.31±4.14, P < 0.01), the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was shortened (days: 18.01±5.67 vs. 24.93±8.33, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS HBO treatment can significantly relieve the symptoms of patients with PSH after brain injury and provide a new idea for the treatment of PSH patients.
Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Brain Injuries/therapy* ; Female ; Male ; Prognosis ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/etiology*

PURPOSE: Despite advances in modern medicine, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are still a major medical problem. Early diagnosis of TBI is crucial for clinical decision-making and prognosis. This study aims to compare the predictive value of Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Stockholm CT scores in predicting the 6-month outcomes in blunt TBI patients. METHODS: This cohort study was conducted on blunt TBI patients of 15 years or older. All of them were admitted to the surgical emergency department of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran from 2020 to 2021 and had abnormal trauma-related findings on brain CT images. The patients' demographic data such as age, gender, history of comorbid conditions, mechanism of trauma, Glasgow coma scale, CT images, length of hospital stay, and surgical procedures were recorded. The Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Stockholm CT scores were simultaneously determined according to the existing guidelines. The included patients' 6-month outcome was determined using the Glasgow outcome scale extended. M Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16.0. Sensitivity, specificity, negative/positive predictive value and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated for each test. The Kappa agreement coefficient and Kuder Richardson-20 were used to compare the scoring systems. RESULTS: Altogether 171 TBI patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with the mean age of (44.9 ± 20.2) years. Most patients were male (80.7%), had traffic related injuries (83.1%) and mild TBIs (64.3%). Patients with lower Glasgow coma scale had higher Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Stockholm CT scores and lower Glasgow outcome scale extended scores. Among all the scoring systems, the Helsinki and Stockholm scores showed the highest agreement in predicting patients' outcomes (kappa = 0.657, p < 0.001). The Rotterdam scoring system had the highest sensitivity (90.1%) in predicting death of TBI patients, whereas the Helsinki scoring system had the highest sensitivity (89.8%) in predicting the 6-month outcome in TBI patients. CONCLUSION The Rotterdam scoring system was superior in predicting death in TBI patients, whereas the Helsinki scoring system was more sensitive in predicting the 6-month outcome.
Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Female ; Cohort Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/diagnosis* ; Brain Injuries ; Prognosis ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating/diagnostic imaging* ; Brain

Objective: To analyze the correlation of bispectral index (BIS) with the prognosis of patients with acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning (ASCMP) and its predictive value of adverse outcomes. Methods: In March 2021, 106 ASCMP patients who were treated in Harrison International Peace Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2020 were taken as research objects. All patients underwent 24-hour BIS monitoring after admission, and were divided into good prognosis group (n=75) and poor prognosis group (n=31) according to the prognosis of the patients' cranial nerve function after 60 d. The general conditions, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission and 24-hour BIS mean were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between the 24-hour BIS mean and GCS score at admission, APACHEⅡ score and coma time. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of 24-hour BIS mean, GCS score at admission, APACHEⅡ score and coma time on adverse outcome of ASCMP patients. Results: The coma time and APACHEⅡ score of the patients in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group, the GCS score at admission and 24-hour BIS mean were significantly lower than those in the good prognosis group (P<0.05) . Pearson correlation analysis showed that the 24-hour BIS mean was positively correlated with the GCS score at admission, and negatively correlated with the APACHEⅡ score, coma time (r=0.675, -0.700, -0.565, P<0.001) . The 24-hour BIS mean had the highest predictive value for adverse outcome of ASCMP patients, with a cut-off value of 74, the area under the curve was 0.883 (95%CI: 0.814-0.951, P<0.001) , and the sensitivity and specificity were 73.3% and 87.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The 24-hour BIS mean has a good correlation with the acute brain nerve injury, the severity of the disease and coma time of patients with ASCMP. And it has a high predictive value for the adverse outcome in patients with ASCMP.
APACHE ; Brain Injuries ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning/diagnosis* ; Coma ; Humans ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Acute methanol poisoning harms the optic nerve and central nervous system, can cause irreversible damage, even coma or death in severe cases. This article reported four cases of methanol poisoning. 3 patients mistakenly ingested industrial alcohol containing methanol, the most serious patient suffered from coma, vision loss and other symptoms, the blood methanol concentration was 869.3 μg/ml. Another patient was poisoning caused by inhalation of methanol, with symptoms such as total blindness in the right eye and decreased visual acuity in the left eye. After active supportive treatment, 2 patients had partial recovery of visual acuity, and 2 patients had no sequelae. This article discussed the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of optic nerve damage caused by methanol poisoning, in order to raise awareness of this disease.
Coma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methanol ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; Poisoning/therapy*