title: Decompressive craniotomy: prognostic factors and complications in 89 patients.
abstract: Decompressive craniotomy (DC) is applied to treat post-traumatic intracranial hypertension (ICH). The purpose of this study is to identify prognostic factors and complications of unilateral DC. Eighty-nine patients submitted to unilateral DC were retrospectively analyzed over a period of 30 months. Chi square independent test and Fisher test were used to identify prognostic factors. The majority of patients were male (87%). Traffic accidents had occurred in 47% of the cases. 64% of the patients had suffered severe head injury, while pupillary abnormalities were already present in 34%. Brain swelling plus acute subdural hematoma were the most common tomographic findings (64%). Complications occurred in 34.8% of the patients: subdural effusions in 10 (11.2%), hydrocephalus in 7 (7.9%) and infection in 14 (15.7%). The admittance Glasgow coma scale was a statistically significant predictor of outcome (p=0.0309).
authors.affiliation: Hospital Felício Rocho, Brazil. rfaleiro@brfree.com.br
authors.forename: Rodrigo Moreira
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Faleiro
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Mendes
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Faleiro
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomide
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pita
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brás
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Sebastião Nataniel Silva
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gusmão
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult