Traumatic brain injury and risk of heart failure and coronary heart disease: A nationwide population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study examined the long-term risks of heart failure (HF) and coronary heart disease (CHD) following traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on gender differences.

METHODS

Data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database included 29,570 TBI patients and 118,280 matched controls based on propensity scores.

RESULTS

The TBI cohort had higher incidences of CHD and HF (9.76 vs. 9.07 per 1000 person-years; 4.40 vs. 3.88 per 1000 person-years). Adjusted analyses showed a significantly higher risk of HF in the TBI group (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01-1.17, P = 0.031). The increased CHD risk in the TBI cohort became insignificant after adjustment. Subgroup analysis by gender revealed higher HF risk in men (aHR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03-1.25, P = 0.010) and higher CHD risk in women under 50 (aHR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.15-1.52, P < 0.001). TBI patients without beta-blocker therapy may be at increased risk of HF.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that TBI increases the risk of HF and CHD in this nationwide cohort of Taiwanese citizens. Gender influences the risks differently, with men at higher HF risk and younger women at higher CHD risk. Beta-blockers have a neutral effect on HF and CHD risk.

Predictive factors for cerebrocardiac syndrome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study

Background and objective

Cerebrocardiac syndrome (CCS) is a severe complication of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) that carries high mortality and disability rates. Early identification of CCS poses a significant clinical challenge. The main objective of this study was to investigate potential risk factors associated with the development of secondary CCS in patients with sTBI. It was hypothesized that elevated right heart Tei index (TI), lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and elevated cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) levels would independently contribute to the occurrence of CCS in sTBI patients.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify risk factors for CCS secondary to sTBI. One hundred and fifty-five patients were enrolled with sTBI admitted to the hospital between January 2016 and December 2020 and divided them into a CCS group (n = 75) and a non-CCS group (n = 80) based on the presence of CCS. This study involved the analysis and comparison of clinical data from two patient groups, encompassing demographic characteristics, peripheral oxygen saturation (SPO2), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), cardiac ultrasound, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) scores, and GCS scores and so on. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify independent risk factors for CCS, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess their predictive value for CCS secondary to sTBI.

Results

The study revealed that 48.4% of sTBI patients developed secondary CCS. In the multivariate analysis model 1 that does not include NT-proBNP and cTnI, ONSD (OR = 2.582, 95% CI: 1.054-6.327, P = 0.038), right heart Tei index (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.288-6.129, P = 0.009), and GCS (OR = 0.212, 95% CI: 0.086-0.521, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for secondary CCS in sTBI patients. In multivariate analysis model 2 that includes NT-proBNP and cTnI, cTnI (OR = 27.711, 95%CI: 3.086-248.795, P = 0.003), right heart Tei index (OR = 2.736, 95% CI: 1.056-7.091, P = 0.038), and GCS (OR = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.045-0.481, P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for secondary CCS in sTBI patients. The area under the ROC curve for ONSD, Tei index, GCS, and cTnI were 0.596, 0.613, 0.635, and 0.881, respectively. ONSD exhibited a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.704 and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.634. The Tei index demonstrated a PPV of 0.624 and an NPV of 0.726, while GCS had a PPV of 0.644 and an NPV of 0.815. On the other hand, cTnI exhibited a significantly higher PPV of 0.936 and an NPV of 0.817. These findings indicate that the Tei index, GCS score, and cTnI possess certain predictive value for secondary CCS in patients with sTBI.

Conclusions

The study provides valuable insights into the identification of independent risk factors for CCS secondary to sTBI. The findings highlight the significance of right heart Tei index, GCS score, and cTnI as potential predictive factors for CCS in sTBI patients. Further larger-scale studies are warranted to corroborate these findings and to provide robust evidence for the development of early intervention strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of CCS in this patient population.

Impact of Left Ventricular Systolic Function After Moderate-to-Severe Isolated Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in left ventricular dysfunction, which can lead to hypotension and secondary brain injuries. However, the association between left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and in-hospital mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe isolated TBI is controversial. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the prevalence of LVSD and evaluate whether LVSD following moderate-to-severe isolated TBI increases the in-hospital mortality. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database from January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2020. Meta-analysis was performed to determine the incidence of LVSD and related mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe isolated TBI. A systematic review identified 5 articles appropriate for meta-analysis. The total number of patients pooled was 256. LVSD was reported in 4 studies, of which the estimated incidence of patients with LVSD was 18.7% (95% confidence interval, 11.9-26.6). Five studies reported on in-hospital mortality, and the estimated in-hospital mortality was 14.1% (95% confidence interval, 5.3-25.6). Finally, 3 studies were eligible for analyzing the association of LVSD and in-hospital mortality. On meta-analysis, in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with LVSD (risk ratio, 6.57; 95% confidence interval, 3.71-11.65; P < 0.001). In conclusion, LVSD after moderate-to-severe TBI is common and may be associated with worse in-hospital outcomes.

Echocardiogram Utilization Patterns and Association With Mortality Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in left ventricular dysfunction, which can lead to hypotension and secondary brain injuries. Although echocardiography is often used to examine cardiovascular function in multiple clinical settings, its use and association with outcomes following severe TBI are not known. To address this gap, we used the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) to describe utilization patterns of echocardiography and examine its association with mortality following severe TBI.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a large administrative trauma registry maintained by the NTDB from 2007 to 2014. Patients >18 years with isolated severe TBI, and without concurrent severe polytrauma, were included in the study. We examined echocardiogram utilization patterns (including overall utilization, factors associated with utilization, and variation in utilization) and the association of echocardiography utilization with hospital mortality, using multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Among 47,808 patients, echocardiogram was utilized as part of clinical care in 2548 patients (5.3%). Clinical factors including vascular comorbidities and hemodynamic instability were associated with increased use of echocardiograms. Nearly half (46.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 40.3%-51.7%) of the variation in echocardiogram utilization was explained at the individual hospital level, above and beyond patient and injury factors. Exposure to an echocardiogram was associated with decreased odds of in-hospital mortality following severe TBI (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.87; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Echocardiogram utilization following severe TBI is relatively low, with wide variation in use at the hospital level. The association with decreased in-hospital mortality suggests that the information derived from echocardiography may be relevant to improving patient outcomes but will require confirmation in further prospective studies.

Risk Factors for Recurrent Hematoma After Surgery for Acute Traumatic Subdural Hematoma

OBJECTIVE

The development of postcraniotomy hematoma (PCH) after surgery for acute traumatic subdural hematoma (aSDH) has been associated with an increased risk of a poor outcome. The risk factors contributing to PCH remain poorly understood. Our aim was to study the potential risk factors for PCH in a consecutive series of surgically evacuated patients with aSDH.

METHODS

A total of 132 patients with aSDH treated at Turku University Hospital (Turku, Finland) from 2008 to 2012 were enrolled in the present retrospective cohort study. The demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were collected from the medical records. A comprehensive analysis of the data using 6 different univariate methods, including machine learning and multivariate analyses, was conducted to identify the factors related to PCH.

RESULTS

The incidence of PCH after primary surgery for traumatic aSDH was 10.6%. The patients experiencing PCH were younger (P = 0.04). No difference was found in the use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication for the patients with and without PCH. Multivariate analyses identified alcohol inebriation at the time of injury (odds ratio [OR], 12.67; P = 0.041) and hypocapnia (OR, 26.09; P = 0.003) as independent risk factors for PCH. The patients with PCH had had hyponatremia (OR, 0.08; P = 0.018) less often, and their maximal systolic blood pressure was lower (OR, 0.94; P = 0.009). The area under the curve for the multivariate model was 0.96 (P = 0.049), with a Youden index of 0.88.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that alcohol inebriation at the time of injury and hypocapnia during hospitalization are risk factors for the development of PCH.