Comprehensive monitoring and computerized tomographic follow up in patients with acute severe head injury: coma-outcome correlations.
In 88 patients with acute severe head injury the Glasgow coma scale (GCS), computerized tomography and autonomic monitoring during the first 24 hours were used to characterize different types of post-traumatic brain dysfunction. A subgroup is defined--GCS 8.1--with signs of diffuse brain swelling and autonomic instability which included two cases with dorsal midbrain lesions. These preliminary results suggest that autonomic instability is a valid criterion for identifying patients suffering from diffuse axonal injury.
D001284:Atrophy; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D003128:Coma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed