Prognostic study of using different monitoring modalities in treating severe traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether or not multimodality monitoring technique would result in a better outcome score than single modality monitoring in severely head injured patients.


METHODS
This was a prospective randomized study that included all adults with traumatic severe head injury who had a Glasgow Coma Score < 9 and computed tomography scan features that did not reveal significant infratentorial pathology. Subjects were randomized into a multimodality group where they received multiple cerebral monitoring or into a standard single modality group where they received only intracranial pressure monitoring. The outcome was analysed 6 months post treatment using the Barthel Index.


RESULTS
The outcome at 6 months post treatment between the two groups was not statistically significant (p < 0.48). However, the percentage of subjects who were independent at 6 months was higher in the multimodality group (21.2%) compared with the single modality group (17.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Multimodality monitoring for severely head-injured patients has no effect on outcome. However, study with a larger sample size and improvement in groups comparison are required to ascertain the above findings.
Idris
Zamzuri
Z
Department of Neurosciences, Health Campus, School of Medical Sciences, USM, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. neuroscienceszamzuri@yahoo.com
Ghani
Rahman Izaini
RI
Musa
Kamarul Imran
KI
Ibrahim
Mohd Ismail
MI
Abdullah
Mazlan
M
Nyi
Naing Nyi
NN
Abdullah
Jafri Malin
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome