title: Quantification of midline shift as a predictor of poor outcome following head injury.
abstract: A retrospective study of patient outcome, based on admission computed tomography, was carried out in 75 consecutive patients with head injury. Computed tomography data collected included the type and extent of intracranial hemorrhage, the extent of midline shift, and the ratio of midline shift compared with the extent of intracranial hemorrhage. Midline shift was considered to be out of proportion to intracranial hemorrhage when the midline shift of the septum pellucidum exceeded the extent of the hemorrhage as measured radially from the inner table of the skull. When computed tomography data were analyzed by logistic regression, significant predictive factors for poor outcome were intracranial hemorrhage (34%), intracranial hemorrhage with midline shift (61%), and midline shift out of proportion to the extent of intracranial hemorrhage (88%). When patient outcome and mortality rates are considered, our study indicates that midline shift out of proportion to the extent of intracranial hemorrhage is a highly useful predictor of poor patient outcome following head injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento 95816.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Quattrocchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Willits
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed