title: Prognosis of severe head injury: an experience in Thailand.
abstract: This study of 300 patients with severe head injury evaluated the clinical predictors determined after admission and associated with significant increase of poor outcome. The overall poor outcome was 58%. Logistic regression showed that age, status of basal cisterns on initial CT, Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) at 24 h after injury and electrolyte derangement occurring during admission strongly correlated with the outcome. A probability diagram of the outcome determined at 24 h after injury from the combination of the significant predictive factors provides a basis for determining the interventions to the appropriate target population. Intracranial pressure monitors with sophisticated devices may not be suitable for a developing country. Allocation of resources toward development of adequate intensive care beds and well-trained staff combined with serial CT imaging may be an alternative approach for the improvement of the outcome of severe head injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla Thailand. rsanguan@ratree.psu.ac.th
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratanalert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chompikul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirunpat
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pheunpathom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013785:Thailand; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome