[Prognostic factors about morbidity and lethality in head injury].
OBJECTIVE
To define the prognostic factors in head injury victims.


METHODS
Assessment and notification of 555 medical files from victims with head injury assisted at the General Hospital of Bahia during 2001.


RESULTS
We verified morbidity rates of 19.6% and lethality rates of 22.9%, with most deaths occurring in men after the third decade of life; the injuries involved traffic accidents that were responsible for 64 (50.4%) deaths. Older age, traffic accidents and fever were predictors of death in the multivariable analysis. Fever was the only significant predictor of morbidity.


CONCLUSIONS
Fever is an independent and modifiable predictor of death and morbidity in patients with traumatic brain injury.
Melo
José Roberto Tude
JR
Hospital Geral do Estado da Bahia, Salvador BA, Brasil. robertotude@hotmail.com
Oliveira Filho
Jamary
J
da Silva
Ricardo Araújo
RA
Moreira Júnior
Edson Duarte
ED
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices