Clinical characterization of comatose patients with cervical spine injury and traumatic brain injury.
BACKGROUND
Reports on the risk factors for combined craniocervical spine injury in comatose patients are rare. The incidence of concomitant cervical injury in comatose patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) was determined herein.


METHODS
One thousand twenty-six comatose patients with TBI were examined. The clinical characteristics of combined craniocervical trauma were documented, including type and location of cervical injury, occurrence of hypotension, and dyspnea.


RESULTS
Seventy-one patients (6.92%) sustained cervical spine injury. The most common injury region included the upper cervical segments, demonstrated in 37 (52.11%) of 71 patients. Of the 71 patients who sustained combined craniocervical spine injury, 42 (59.15%) had hypotension, including 26 (36.62%) with dyspnea. With regard to the association between the severity of TBI and the incidence of the cervical injury, a significant difference was apparent between patients with an initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3-5 and those with an initial GCS score of 9-12 (11.62% compared with 4.03%, p < 0.01). Regarding the relationship between the mechanism of injury and the occurrence of cervical spine injury, cervical spine injury was associated at a significantly higher incidence with motorcycle accident-related head trauma as compared with non motorcycle accident-related trauma (10.32% vs. 4.68%, p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who sustained TBI as a result of motorcycle accidents and those exhibiting a lower GCS score are at the highest risk for concomitant cervical spine injury.
Tian
Heng-Li
HL
Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 6th People Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Guo
Yan
Y
Hu
Jin
J
Rong
Bo-Ying
BY
Wang
Gan
G
Gao
Wen-Wei
WW
Chen
Shi-Wen
SW
Chen
Hao
H
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003128:Coma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles; D012307:Risk Factors; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology