title: Head injury in polytrauma-Is there an effect on outcome more than 10 years after the injury?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head injuries are of great relevance for the prognosis of polytrauma patients during acute care. However, knowledge about the impact on the long-term outcome is sparse. Therefore, this study analysed the role of head injuries on the outcome of polytrauma patients more than 10 years after injury in a matched-pair analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 620 polytrauma patients with and without head injury, a matched-pair analysis with comparable age, injury severity and gender distribution and a minimum of 10 years follow-up was performed. The outcome and quality-of-life were measured using the Hannover Score for Polytrauma Outcome (HASPOC), Short Form 12 (SF-12), Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and other parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The matched-pair analysis consisted of 125 pairs (age 27.9 ± 1.2 years, ISS 20.0 ± 0.8 [head injury] vs ISS 19.8 ± 0.8 [no head injury]). A significant difference was shown for the GOS Score only (GOS head injury 4.3 ± 0.3 vs no head injury 4.9 ± 0.2, p = 0.01). The psychological outcome was similar in both groups. Both groups reported comparable subjective rehabilitation satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Matching pairs of equally injured polytrauma patients of same gender with and without head injury 10 years following trauma indicated significantly worse results in the GOS due to head injury.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Department, Hannover Medical School, Germany. zeckey.christian@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeckey
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mommsen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panzica
authors.forename: Boris A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zelle
authors.forename: Nicola Alexander
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sittaro
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lohse
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krettek
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Probst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult