Factors influencing the outcome in acute subdural haematoma. A review of 330 cases

Mortality Reduction of Acute Surgery in Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematoma since the 19th Century: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Dramatic Effect: Is Surgery the Obvious Parachute?

The rationale of performing surgery for acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) to reduce mortality is often compared with the self-evident effectiveness of a parachute when skydiving. Nevertheless, it is of clinical relevance to estimate the magnitude of the effectiveness of surgery. The aim of this study is to determine whether surgery reduces mortality in traumatic ASDH compared with initial conservative treatment. A systematic search was performed in the databases IndexCAT, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, CENTRAL, Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL for studies investigating ASDH treated conservatively and surgically, without restriction to publication date, describing the mortality. Cohort studies or trials with at least five patients with ASDH, clearly describing surgical, conservative treatment, or both, with the mortality at discharge, reported in English or Dutch, were eligible. The search yielded 2025 reports of which 282 were considered for full-text review. After risk of bias assessment, we included 102 studies comprising 12,287 patients. The data were synthesized using meta-analysis of absolute risks; this was conducted in random-effects models, with dramatic effect estimation in subgroups. Overall mortality in surgically treated ASDH is 48% (95% confidence interval [CI] 44-53%). Mortality after surgery for comatose patients (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8) is 41% (95% CI 31-51%) in contemporary series (after 2000). Mortality after surgery for non-comatose ASDH is 12% (95% CI 4-23%). Conservative treatment is associated with an overall mortality of 35% (95% CI 22-48%) and 81% (95% CI 56-98%) when restricting to comatose patients. The absolute risk reduction is 40% (95% CI 35-45%), with a number needed to treat of 2.5 (95% CI 2.2-2.9) to prevent one death in comatose ASDH. Thus, surgery is effective to reduce mortality among comatose patients with ASDH. The magnitude of the effect is large, although the effect size may not be sufficient to overcome any bias.

The clinical relevance of ABO blood type in 100 patients with acute subdural hematoma

OBJECTIVE

The correlation of depleted blood through midline shift in acute subdural hematoma remains the most reliable clinical predictor to date. On the other hand, patient's ABO blood type has a profound impact on coagulation and hemostasis. We conducted this study to evaluate the role of patient's blood type in terms of incidence, clinical course and outcome after acute subdural hematoma bleeding.

METHODS

100 patients with acute subdural hematoma treated between 2010 and 2015 at the author's institution were included. Baseline characteristics and clinical findings including Glasgow coma scale, Glasgow outcome scale, hematoma volume, rebleeding, midline shift, postoperative seizures and the presence of anticoagulation were analyzed for their association with ABO blood type.

RESULTS

Patient's with blood type O were found to have a lower midline shift (p<0.01) and significantly less seizures (OR: 0.43; p<0.05) compared to non-O patients. Furthermore, patients with blood type A had the a significantly higher midline shift (p<0.05) and a significantly increased risk for postoperative seizures (OR: 4.01; p<0.001). There was no difference in ABO blood type distribution between acute subdural hematoma patients and the average population.

CONCLUSION

The ABO blood type has significant influence on acute subdural hematoma sequelae. Patient's with blood type O benefit in their clinical course after acute subdural hematoma whereas blood type A patients are at highest risk for increased midline shift and postoperative seizures. Further studies elucidating the biological mechanisms of blood type depended hemostaseology and its role in acute subdural hematoma are required for the development of an appropriate intervention.

Geriatric head injuries - Experience and expectations

It is widely known that global citizenry is continuing to age. The elderly head trauma patients, comprising 4.83% in our series are important from neurosurgical aspects. We conducted a study of elderly head injury patients admitted to our unit in last 11 years. Out of 620 patients, 423 males and 197 female, constituting a ratio of 2.1∶1. Fall constitutes the principle mode of injury (56.29%) followed by RTA (44.1%). We analyzed all the cases for surgical intervention after careful assessment of neurological condition. Amongst all cases operated for acute trauma, good recovery was seen in 51.8% and mortality in 41.7%, whereas in chronic subdural haematoma 84.2% cases showed good recovery as against mortality in 10.5%. In our society, due to very close family ties and desperation of family members to try active intervention even in patients with expected bleak outcome, we operated a fairly large number of cases and concluded that outcome was better after operative intervention.

Relevancy of positive trends in mortality and functional recovery after surgical treatment of acute subdural hematomas. Our 10-year experience

BACKGROUND

Among traumatic brain injuries, acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) is considered one of the most devastating still retaining poor surgical outcomes in a considerable percentage of affected patients. However, according to results drawn from published samples of aSDH patients, overall mortality and functional recovery have been progressively ameliorating during the last decades.

METHODS

We present a retrospective analysis of 316 consecutive cases of post-traumatic aSDH operated on between 2003 and 2011 at our institution.

RESULTS

Mortality was 67% (n = 212); a useful recovery was achieved in 16.4% cases (n = 52). Age >65 years, a preoperative Glasgow coma scale (GCS) ≤ 8, specific pre-existing medical comorbidities (hypertension, heart diseases) were found to be strong indicators of unfavorable outcomes and death during hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

Our results, compared with those of the inherent literature, led the authors to question both the "aggressiveness" of neurosurgical care indications in certain subpopulations of patients being known to fare worse or even die regardless of the treatment administered and the relevance of the results concerning mortality and functional recovery reported by third authors.

Bilateral acute epidural hematoma after evacuation of acute subdural hematoma: brain shift and the dynamics of extraaxial collections

Acute epidural hematoma following supratentorial decompressive craniectomy is a very seldom described but serious complication. The occurrence of intraoperative brain swelling may suggest the development of a contralateral hematoma. A unique case of bilateral acute epidural following decompressive craniectomy and evacuation of acute subdural hematoma is presented. Awareness of unexplained elevation of intracranial pressure is of paramount importance when routine immediate postoperative computed tomography is not performed. This case provides insight into the well-known but poorly understood dynamic process of brain shift and extraaxial collections.

The Westmead head injury project: Outcome prediction in acute subdural haematoma

A prospective two year study of a consecutive sample of patients with an acute subdural haematoma who were admitted to Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia was undertaken. There were 103 patients with an acute subdural haematoma admitted in the period. Twenty-four of these scored 9 or greater on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and of these all made a functional recovery, i.e. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS 1 or 2). The remaining 79 patients scored 8 or less on admission and of these 30% made a functional recovery. Of the 70% remaining, 4% were moderately or severely disabled (GOS 3 or 4) while 66% died (GOS 5). Age, hypoxia, hypotension, response to intracranial pressure control and two CT scan features, midline shift as measured from the septum pellucidum and cerebral oedema, were all significant in predicting outcome. Time from injury to treatment, initial pupil response, lucid interval and compression of brainstem cisterns on CT scans statistically failed to predict outcome. The data were analysed using logistic regression which showed age and midline shift to predict death or disability with an accuracy of 80% at twelve months after the injury (sensitivity 58%, specificity 89%).

Predictors of functional recovery in African patients with traumatic intracranial hematomas

BACKGROUND

Head injury is a critical public health problem responsible for up to 50% of fatalities among trauma patients and for a large component of continuing care among survivors. Intracranial hematomas are among the most common clinical entities encountered by any neurosurgical service and have a very high mortality rate and extremely poor prognosis among traumatic brain injuries.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate reliable factors influencing the functional outcome of the patients with traumatic intracranial hematomas (ICHs).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted of consecutive patients presenting at the Kenyatta National Hospital between January 2000 and December 2009. Following ethical approval, the records of patients admitted to the neurosurgical unit and diagnosed with traumatic ICH were retrieved and reviewed. The outcome measure was the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score at discharge. Data were collected in preformed questionnaires, and the coding and analysis were carried out using SPSS, version 11.5.

RESULTS

Of the 608 patients diagnosed with intracranial hematomas during the study period, there was a clear male predominance, with 89.3% male and 10.7% female patients. Majority of the patients (49%) were aged between 26 and 45 years, whereas 5.6% and 9.4% were younger than age 13 years and older than age 61 years, respectively. The most common cause of injury was assault (48%). Good functional recovery was achieved by 280 (46.1%) of the patients in our series, whereas moderate and severe disability accounted for 27% and 6.9%, respectively. Males were more likely to have functional recovery (46.4%) than were females (43.1%), though this finding was not statistically significant (P = 0.069). The proportion of patients who achieved functional recovery seemed to decrease with increasing age. Patients who were involved in motor vehicle accidents were less likely to have functional recovery (33.7%, P = 0.003) than those who fell (53.6%). There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients who achieved functional recovery, with 65.2% of those who had mild head injury as compared to 46% and 15.1% (P ≤ 0.001) for those with moderate and severe head injury, respectively. Patients who had surgical intervention were more likely to achieve functional outcome (51.2%) as compared to 31.7% in those managed conservatively. Furthermore, the time elapsed from initial trauma to surgery significantly influenced outcome. The type of surgery done was not found to significantly influence patient outcome (P = 0.095).

CONCLUSION

An increased risk of poor outcome occurs in patients who are older than age 61 years, have lower preoperative GCS scores, pupillary abnormalities, and a long interval between trauma and decompression. The findings would help clinicians determine management criteria and improve survival.

A systematic review of factors contributing to outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To review, systematically, factors contributing to outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability. Several studies have determined the significant predictors of outcomes after traumatic brain injury. The comprehensive identification of these reliable factors for traumatic brain injury is critical to both clinical practice and research.

DESIGN

Systematic literature review.

METHODS

Eligible studies that combined at least two variables to predict outcomes in patient with traumatic brain injury were identified via electronic database searches, footnote chasing and contact with clinical experts. Quality of selected studies was assessed in terms of internal and external validity using 15 questions. Two reviewers independently examined titles, abstracts and whether each met the predefined inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 46 studies which met review criteria were finally selected. Most studies satisfied internal validity in terms of validity of research variables and multivariate analysis, but few were validated externally. The following factors were significantly associated with unfavourable outcomes: sociodemographic factors such as older age, male gender, lower level of education; clinical factors such as lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, injury caused by motor vehicle crash, hypotension, hypoxia, increased intracranial pressure, no pupil reaction, hypo- or hyperglycaemia, anaemia, coagulopathy, hypo- or hyperthermia, abnormal level of electrolytes, duration of coma; higher level of computed tomography classification by Marshall category; type of intracerebral lesions.

CONCLUSION

Further studies on integrating the sociodemographic factors, the course of the clinical condition and a unified CT scoring system, are recommended for the evaluation and improvement of the prognosis of traumatic brain injury.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

A systematic review of factors contributing to outcome for patients with traumatic brain injury will be invaluable in triage criteria, injury prognostication, care and discharge planning, resource use and patient and family counselling.

Predictors for functional recovery and mortality of surgically treated traumatic acute subdural hematomas in 256 patients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliable factors influencing the surgical outcome of the patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and to improve the functional outcome of these patients.

METHODS

A total of 256 consecutive patients who underwent surgical intervention for traumatic ASDH between March 1998 and March 2008 were reviewed. We evaluated the influence of perioperative variables on functional recovery and mortality using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Functional recovery was achieved in 42.2% of patients and the overall mortality was 39.8%. Age (OR=4.91, p=0.002), mechanism of injury (OR=3.66, p=0.003), pupillary abnormality (OR=3.73, p=0.003), GCS score on admission (OR=5.64, p=0.000), and intraoperative acute brain swelling (ABS) (OR=3.71, p=0.009) were independent predictors for functional recovery. And preoperative pupillary abnormality (OR=2.60, p=0.023), GCS score (OR=4.66, p=0.000), and intraoperative ABS (OR=4.16, p=0.001) were independent predictors for mortality. Midline shift, thickness and volume of hematoma, type of surgery, and time to surgery showed no independent association with functional recovery, although these variables were correlated with functional recovery in univariate analyses.

CONCLUSION

Functional recovery was more likely to be achieved in patients who were under 40 years of age, victims of motor vehicle collision and having preoperative reactive pupils, higher GCS score and the absence of ABS during surgery. These results would be helpful for neurosurgeon to improve outcomes from traumatic acute subdural hematomas.

Significance of consecutive bilateral surgeries for patients with acute subdural hematoma who develop contralateral acute epi- or subdural hematoma

BACKGROUND

Although rare, patients with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) because of severe head injury can develop contralateral acute epi- or subdural hematoma, requiring consecutive surgical procedures. The choice of treatment strategies for such patients is clinically important.

METHODS

Among 88 patients with ASDH who were surgically treated over 13 years, we encountered and studied 5 patients who developed contralateral acute epi- or subdural hematoma (5.7%).

RESULTS

All 5 patients were male, ranging in age from 17 to 40. According to the Glasgow Coma Scale on admission, 1 patient was rated 3, 1 was 4, 1 was 5, and 2 were 6. All patients underwent consecutive surgical procedures for ASDH and contralateral ASDH and/or acute epidural hematoma, and were given postoperative supportive therapy with barbiturates and mild hypothermia. Patients' outcomes according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale were as follows: 1 patient, good recovery (20.0%); 1, mild disability (20.0%); 2, severe disability (40.0%), and 1, persistent vegetative state (20.0%). No patients died. Although decompressive craniectomy and evacuation of hematoma may lead to contralateral acute epi- or subdural hematoma in patients with ASDH, this therapy is justified because hematoma irrigation with trephination therapy has a poor outcome for comatose patients.

CONCLUSION

Awareness of intraoperative brain swelling is important, as it suggests the development of contralateral hematoma. Immediate computed tomography and a rapid return to the operating room are therefore critical.

The effects of subdural haematoma on spatial learning in the rat

Although memory deficits are one of the most persistent consequences of human subdural haematoma, cognitive functioning has hardly been investigated in the rat subdural haematoma model. In the present study, the effects on spatial learning of right- and left-sided unilateral subdural haematoma and of bilateral subdural haematoma induced above the sensorimotor cortical areas were evaluated. Spatial learning was assessed by standard acquisition in the Morris water escape task (five sessions). Additional issues addressed were sensorimotor functioning (footprint analysis), recovery of cognitive functioning (tested by an overtraining and a reversal training) and replicability of induced cognitive deficits. Following unilateral subdural haematoma surgery, hardly any impairments in the Morris water escape task were observed: rats with a unilateral right-sided subdural haematoma showed very mild, transient deficits, whereas rats with left-sided subdural haematoma were indistinguishable from controls. Bilateral subdural haematoma surgery led to a clear, although transient, performance deficit. We conclude that animals with bilateral subdural haematoma may provide a promising cognitive deficit model for investigating recovery of function.

The neuroprotective effect of the forebrain-selective NMDA antagonist CP101,606 upon focal ischemic brain damage caused by acute subdural hematoma in the rat

The neuroprotective effects of drugs that act against excitotoxic damage, caused by glutamate, are well described in focal ischemia, but behavioral effects, and apparent failure in clinical trials of "first-generation" competitive N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, such as Selfotel (CGS19755), has led to interest in evaluating newer NMDA antagonists with fewer behavioral effects. We have therefore evaluated the neuroprotective effect of a new forebrain-selective polyamine site NMDA antagonist, CP101,606 in a rat subdural hematoma (SDH) model. An SDH was produced by slow injection of 0.4 ml autologous blood into the parietal subdural space. Brain damage was assessed histologically at eight coronal planes, in animals sacrificed 4 h after induction of hematoma. The drug was infused 30 min after induction of SDH. The reductions of ischemic brain damage achieved by CP101,606, was 29% for the low dose and 37% for the high dose. This novel glutamate antagonist has shown a magnitude of neuroprotection which is comparable with that seen with "first-generation" NMDA antagonists such as MK801, D-CPP-ene and CGS19755, in this same model. This new agent is claimed to have fewer psychomotor and behavioral effects than MK801, D-CPP-ene, and CGS19755.

Prognostic factors in severely head injured adult patients with acute subdural haematoma's

A medline search back to 1975 was undertaken to identify relevant papers published on subdural haematomas. The search was restricted, whenever possible, to adult age and comatose patients. Forty relevant reports were identified. Only 3 papers reported results on multivariate analysis. In terms of prognosis, the following parameters were found to be significant: age, time from injury to treatment, presence of pupillary abnormalities, GCS/motor score on admission, immediate coma or lucid interval, CT findings (haematoma volume, degree of midline shift, associated intradural lesion, compression of basal cisterns), post-operative ICP and the type of surgery. Improving the outcome of patients with acute subdural haematoma's is a difficult task. A small subpopulation of patients may have a benign course without surgical haematoma evacuation, but all comatose patients with an acute subdural haematoma should be treated in Centers where neurosurgical facilities and appropriate monitoring are available.

A use-dependent sodium channel antagonist, 619C89, in reduction of ischemic brain damage and glutamate release after acute subdural hematoma in the rat

Acute subdural hematoma kills or disables more severely head injured patients than any other complication of cranial trauma. The main pathological factor involved is ischemic neuronal damage, which is caused by raised intracranial pressure and local effect. The authors have evaluated the hypothesis that a novel use-dependent sodium channel antagonist, 619C89, could reduce ischemic brain damage in the rat subdural hematoma model. Because previous studies have shown that focal neuronal damage may be mediated by "excitotoxic" mechanisms, and because excitatory amino acid levels have been shown to be markedly elevated after brain trauma in humans, the authors have measured levels of glutamate, aspartate, and threonine within the cortex underneath the hematoma, using in vivo microdialysis before and after induction of hematoma, in both vehicle- and drug-treated rats. Postinjury treatment with 619C89 (30 mg/kg) significantly reduced the volume of hemispheric ischemic damage produced by subdural hematoma, from 99.77 +/- 7.51 mm3 in vehicle-treated control rats to 46.07 +/- 11.06 mm3 (p = 0.0007) in drug-treated animals. In the vehicle-treated animals, induction of subdural hematoma led to a fourfold increase in glutamate in the first 30 minutes after subdural hematoma occurred. The mean extracellular glutamate concentration in these animals remained 2- to 2.6-fold increased over the following 2.5 hours. In the 619C89-treated animals, the release of glutamate from the cortex underneath the hematoma was significantly attenuated. In these rats, induction of subdural hematoma led to a 2.7-fold increase in the first 30-minute sample, but extracellular glutamate concentration returned to near-basal levels thereafter, compared with vehicle-treated animals (p < 0.05). These results show that 619C89 is highly neuroprotective in this model and that its effects may, in part, be mediated by the inhibition of glutamate release from the ischemic cortex underneath the hematoma.

[Acute traumatic subdural haematomas: study of 110 cases]

We report a series of 110 patients with acute traumatic subdural hematoma (ASDH) admitted at HBDF emergency within 1994 (January 1st to December 1st). All patients were treated according to the same protocol. There was a predominance of males (79%), with ages ranging from 14 to 70, being car accidents (20%) and car-pedestrian accidents (34%) the most frequent causes. The majority of patients (85.7%) was admitted in very serious condition, with a score of 8 points on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) or lesser, which directly influenced the mortality rates. CT scan was the diagnostic procedure of choice, and it showed contusion and brain swelling to be the most frequent associated intracranial lesions. Surgery was carried out in 45.1% of cases and, in most instances, through an ample fronto-temporo-parietal craniotomy, with hematoma drainage and dural reconstitution. In 54.9% of cases, clinical conditions did not allow surgery and in this group, 69.6%.

One hundred and twenty-seven cases of acute subdural haematoma operated on. Correlation between CT scan findings and outcome

Traumatic acute subdural haematoma is one of the most lethal of all head injuries: the mortality rate is reported to be between 50 and 90%. We reviewed the clinical records of 1688 head injured patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at C.T.O. hospital between 1982 and 1992. In 127 cases (7,5%) CTscan on admission showed acute subdural haematoma requiring surgery because the midline shift was greater than 5 mm. The overall mortality rate was 57% and 23% had functional recovery. The following variables were assessed with regard to morbidity and mortality: mechanism of injury, age, neurological presentation, time delay from injury to intervention, CTscan finding on admission. GCS and CTscan findings were found to be the most important prognostic variable. Timing of operative intervention for clot removal with regard to outcome was not statistically significant. But no conclusions regarding the importance of early haematoma evacuation can be drawn from such an oversimplifying statement, because it does not take into account factors like rapidity of haematoma development and related brain decompensation as well as additional direct brain lesions. The results of this study suggest that the extent of primary brain injury underlying the subdural haematoma is the most important factor affecting outcome.

Early detection of delayed traumatic intracranial hematomas using near-infrared spectroscopy

Delayed intracranial hematomas are an important treatable cause of secondary brain injury in patients with head trauma. Early identification and treatment of these lesions, which appear or enlarge after the initial computerized tomography (CT) scan, may improve neurological outcome. Serial examinations using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect the development of delayed hematomas were performed in 167 patients. The difference in absorbance of light (delta OD) at 760 nm between the normal and the hematoma side was measured serially during the first 3 days after injury. Twenty-seven (16%) of the patients developed a type of late hematoma: intracerebral hematoma in eight, extracerebral hematoma in six, and postoperative hematoma in 13 patients. Eighteen of the delayed hematomas caused significant mass effect and required surgical evacuation. The hematomas appeared between 2 and 72 hours after admission. In 24 of the 27 patients, a significant increase (> 0.3) in the delta OD occurred prior to an increase in intracranial pressure, a change in the neurological examination, or a change on CT scan. A favorable outcome occurred in 67% of the patients with delayed hematomas, which suggests that early diagnosis using NIRS may allow early treatment and reduce secondary injury caused by delayed hematomas.

Acute subdural haematoma in adults: an analysis of outcome in comatose patients

The authors analysed a series of 200 adult patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lódź with a diagnosis of acute subdural haematoma (ASDH). 63% of them were surgically treated within the first 4 hours after head injury, the others were operated on 4 to 16 hours after trauma. All patients had GCS below 10 for the whole time period from trauma to surgery. Younger patients 18-30 year old had lower mortality-25%, while patients above 50 revealed 75% mortality. Analysis of operative timing and outcome, no benefit revealed when surgery was performed within first 4 hours. However, the patients operated on later than 4 hours after trauma had smaller midline shift and less pronounced brain contusion. It must be taken into account that some patients who could benefit from early surgery-those with quickly developing haematomas and intracranial hypertension-had no chance to arrive and died in peripheral hospitals. Despite our results we advocate an urgent evacuation of haematoma, as early as possible after trauma. Significant correlation was found between midline shift, cerebral contusion on CT scans and results of surgery. Patients with bigger midline shift or presence of focal cerebral contusion revealed higher mortality and worse outcome than patients with smaller shift and no cerebral contusion visible on CT pictures.

Justification for evacuating acute subdural haematomas in patients above the age of 75 years

The author has reviewed the outcome of 27 patients aged 75 years and over who had an operation for acute traumatic subdural haematoma at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, over a 10-year period. There were 15 men and 12 women with a mean age of 79.2 years. The outcome at 6 months was determined using the Glasgow Outcome Score. Of the patients, 15 per cent made a good recovery, 15 per cent a poor recovery and 70 per cent died. The influence of age, sex, mechanism of injury, preoperative Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), pupillary reactivity to light, skull and limb fractures, clinical course, CT scan appearance and timing of operation were analysed in relation to the outcome. The results showed that a preoperative GCS of 4 or less and unilateral pupillary dilatation and non-reactivity to light were not compatible with good survival in the very elderly patient with acute subdural haematoma. Under these circumstances, operation is not justified. The prognosis was worse in patients who were unconscious immediately after injury and with a CT scan showing a subdural haematoma and a haemorrhagic contusion which required urgent early intervention. The prognostic indicators present may prove useful in the selection of patients for active surgical intervention.

The outcome from acute subdural and epidural intracranial haematomas in very elderly patients

Out of a consecutive series of 1082 operations performed on head-injured patients over a 9-year period, 28 cases of acute subdural haematomas (SDHs) or epidural haematomas (EDHs) occurring in patients aged between 80 and 100 years were selected. Mortality rates in these patients (100% in 2 EDHs, 88% in 26 SDHs) were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) compared with patients under 80 years (12% in 308 EDHs, 57% in 215 SDHs). Pre-existing diseases, primary events precipitating falls, and multiple system failure complicating the postoperative course accounted for most of the deaths. None of the patients operated upon with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 11 or less survived. A typical 'talk and die' course occurred in two cases. Three patients, all operated on for SDH, survived and returned to their pre-injury conditions. It was concluded that, whilst the question as to whether to submit very old comatose patients to life-prolonging measures remains unsettled, there is a case for the prompt evacuation of extra-axial clots in patients with minimal impairment of consciousness.

Outcome following surgical evacuation of traumatic intracranial haematomas in the elderly

In order to determine the factors influencing outcome following craniotomy for trauma in patients over the age of 65 and to establish criteria for surgical intervention, the authors carried out a retrospective analysis of the hospital and general practice records of all head injury patients over the age of 65 who underwent a craniotomy for evacuation of a post-traumatic haematoma within 7 days of injury at Frenchay Hospital during a 10-year period (1980-89). Outcome was measured using the Glasgow Outcome Scale and patients were allotted to a good outcome group (good recovery or moderate disability but independent) or a poor outcome group (severe disability, vegetative state of death). There were 35 men and 31 women with a mean age of 72.5 years (range 65-85 years). The mortality rate was 61% and 9% of patients survived in a severely disabled or vegetative state. All 20 (30%) patients with a good outcome had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 5 or more immediately before surgery. All 18 (27%) patients with a GCS of 4 or less and all 22 (33%) patients with unilateral or bilateral pupillary dilatation had a poor outcome. Outcome was significantly worse in the older patients (75-85 years) compared with the younger patients (65-74 years) and in those patients requiring craniotomy within 24 hours of injury, but the mechanism of injury (fall or road traffic accident), the presence or absence of skull fractures and limb fractures and the pre-operative CT scan appearances did not influence outcome. This study confirms the high probability of poor outcome following surgical evacuation of traumatic intracranial haematomas for elderly head-injured patients with pupillary dilatation or extensor motor responses. Craniotomy under these circumstances is not justified.

Acute subdural hematoma: morbidity, mortality, and operative timing

Traumatic acute subdural hematoma remains one of the most lethal of all head injuries. Since 1981, it has been strongly held that the critical factor in overall outcome from acute subdural hematoma is timing of operative intervention for clot removal; those operated on within 4 hours of injury may have mortality rates as low as 30% with functional survival rates as high as 65%. Data were reviewed for 1150 severely head-injured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores 3 to 7) treated at a Level 1 trauma center between 1982 and 1987; 101 of these patients had acute subdural hematoma. Standard treatment protocol included aggressive prehospital resuscitation measures, rapid operative intervention, and aggressive postoperative control of intracranial pressure (ICP). The overall mortality rate was 66%, and 19% had functional recovery. The following variables statistically correlated (p less than 0.05) with outcome; motorcycle accident as a mechanism of injury, age over 65 years, admission GCS score of 3 or 4, and postoperative ICP greater than 45 mm Hg. The time from injury to operative evacuation of the acute subdural hematoma in regard to outcome morbidity and mortality was not statistically significant even when examined at hourly intervals although there were trends indicating that earlier surgery improved outcome. The findings of this study support the pathophysiological evidence that, in acute subdural hematoma, the extent of primary underlying brain injury is more important than the subdural clot itself in dictating outcome; therefore, the ability to control ICP is more critical to outcome than the absolute timing of subdural blood removal.

[Causes of and circumstances in death due to subdural hematoma]

This study concerns lethal subdural hematomas in the autopsy material at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Hamburg (n = 102; 0.9% of 11,462 autopsies 1980 to 1988). 63 fatalities were male (mean age 46 years) and 39 were female (mean age 53 years). Subdural hematomas were predominantly located parietotemporal (64%) and had an average volume of 125 ml. Rupture of the bridging veins and contusions of the cerebral cortex were frequent sources of bleeding. In one third of cases the exact topographical site of bleeding was not determined. 90% of the subdural hematomas were of traumatic origin, two thirds had an acute clinical course of less than twelve hours; 23 times neurosurgical intervention took place. With respect to the criminal and civil law it is of decisive significance to explain the causal relationship between subdural hematomas and preceding trauma. Recently there is an increase in blame against physicians in cases where the subdural hematoma (e. g. of inebriated persons) was not diagnosed and treated immediately.

"Benign" acute subdural haematomas. Analysis of 12 cases

Twelve cases of acute subdural haematomas, who had a benign course, were studied. During the same period of 8 years, 132 patients with acute subdural haematomas were treated in our unit, an incidence of 9%. From our study it becomes evident that the fate of the patients is determined by the type of injury and especially the conscious level of the patients on admission and their evolution. It also becomes evident from the world literature, that the term "acute" was used in an arbitrary way in most papers and more strict criteria should be used for using this term and for evaluating the ultimate course of these patients.

Recurrent hematomas following craniotomy for traumatic intracranial mass

Of 850 patients who underwent craniotomy for evacuation of a traumatic intracranial mass, 59 (6.9%) developed a second hematoma at the operation site, which required a second operation. Compared to those who did not, patients who developed postcraniotomy hematoma (PCH) had a significantly higher incidence of evidence of alcohol intake and preoperative mannitol administration; a higher percentage had a bad outcome. Coagulopathy was frequent in PCH patients. Although three-quarters of the initial hematomas were intradural, 69% of the PCH's were predominantly extradural. The large potential space underlying a craniotomy bone flap may predispose to development of a PCH. Intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored in 39 of the 59 PCH patients, which allowed earlier detection of the PCH in 22 (56%). In 17 patients, the ICP failed to rise despite clinical deterioration, and detection of the PCH was delayed, significantly worsening the outcome in this group.

Acute subdural hematomas: an age-dependent clinical entity

Reports prior to 1980 describe overall mortality rates for acute subdural hematomas (SDH's) ranging from 40% to 90% with poor outcomes observed in all age groups. Recently, improved results have been reported with rapid diagnosis and surgical treatment. A relatively large number of older patients (34 patients over 65 years old) were treated recently at Harborview Medical Center, enabling a retrospective comparison with similarly treated younger patients (33 patients aged 18 to 40 years). Clinical information and computerized tomography morphometric data were obtained. Patients in the younger group were most often injured in motor-vehicle accidents (15 cases), whereas falls were most frequent in the older group (19 cases). Patients in both groups were rapidly resuscitated in the field; more than 30% were treated within 1 hour after the time of injury. Injury severity, determined by the admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, was similar for the two groups. Mean acute SDH volume was significantly larger in the older patients than in the younger group (mean +/- standard deviation: 96.2 +/- 117.2 vs. 21.6 + 27.7 cu cm), as was the amount of midline shift (1.2 +/- 1.69 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.75 cm). Surgical treatments were similar, but outcomes were dramatically different for the younger and older patients. Mortality rates were more than four times higher in older patients than in younger ones (74% vs. 18%). Three older patients and 25 younger patients were functional survivors. Old age, a larger SDH volume, and a larger midline shift all correlated with a poor outcome. The results of this study suggest that the pathophysiology of acute SDH varies with age, and that currently employed resuscitation and treatment methods have differentially improved the outcome for younger patients.