[Progredient intracranial bleeding after traumatic brain injury. When is a control CCT necessary?].
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to quantify the occurrence of progressive intracranial bleeding (PIB) and to identify concomitant parameters in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
TBI patients were included if initial and serial cranial computed tomography (CCT) scans were conducted within 24 h after trauma. A progression of > or =25% was considered as PIB. Patients with progression were compared to those with constant bleeding regarding clinical parameters, time lapse and coagulation status.


RESULTS
A total of 98 patients with TBI and intracranial hemorrhaging were analyzed. PIB was detected in 45 patients showing significantly more intracerebral bleeding as well as fractures to the skull (p<0.05), compared to patients with constant bleeding. No significant differences between the groups regarding demographic and clinical parameters, time interval between trauma and initial CCT, and coagulation status were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Early progression of intracranial hemorrhaging occurs in nearly every second TBI patient and is recognized frequently in cerebral contusions and after fractures to the skull. Hence, early repeated CT scanning is indicated in all TBI patients suffering from intracranial bleeding.
Vogel
T
T
Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791 Bochum, Deutschland. t.vogel@klinikum-bochum.de
Ockert
B
B
Krötz
M
M
Linsenmaier
U
U
Kirchhoff
C
C
Pfeifer
K J
KJ
Mutschler
W
W
Mussack
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020201:Brain Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult