Anest. intenziv. Med. 2011;22(5):272-278

Does measuring the intracranial pressure influence survival rates in patients with brain injury?Intensive Care Medicine - Original Paper

Krbila Štefan^1,*, Soboňa Viliam¹, Waczulíková Iveta², Záhorec Roman³

¹ KAIM FNsP Nové Zámky

² Matematicko-fyzikálna fakulta Univerzity Komenského, Bratislava

³ II. KAIM LF UK a Onkologického ústavu sv. Alžbety v Bratislave

Objective:
To compare the outcomes and mortality at 7 and 270 days in brain-injured patients with an inserted ICP sensor to those without an ICP sensor.


Type of study:
Prospective and comparative clinical study.

Materials and methods:
The study population, which consisted of 64 patients with brain injury, was divided into a group with continuous ICP monitoring for 7days and a group without ICP monitoring. The follow-up period was between 7 and 270 days. The recorded values and other relevant data were analysed by methods of descriptive and inductive statistics.

Results:
The differences between the groups in survival up to 7 and 30 days were not statistically significant (median survival = 30 days in both groups, P = 0.32). In the group with ICP monitoring, the values below 20 mm Hg were associated with a significantly reduced risk of death. The overall mortality rates within 30 days were not characterized by unusual survival distribution curves. In the period from the 30th up to the 270th day after injury there was a single death recorded.

Conclusion:
Trauma patients' survival depends on the speed and quality of the pre-hospital care followed by adequate treatment in specialized centres. Mortality and survival up to 7 and 30 days were not significantly different between the groups, possibly due to a small sample size.

Keywords: craniocerebral trauma; intracranial pressure monitoring; survival analysis; prediction of neurologic outcome

Received: May 25, 2011; Accepted: September 26, 2011; Published: October 1, 2011  Show citation