Challenges and patient outcomes in chronic subdural haematoma at the level of a regional care system A multi-centre, mixed-methods study from the East of England.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) is a common neurosurgical pathology affecting older patients with other health conditions. A significant proportion (up-to 90%) of referrals for surgery in neurosciences units (NSU) come from secondary care. However, the organisation of this care and the experience of patients repatriated to non-specialist centres are currently unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify patient outcome in non-specialist centres following NSU discharge for cSDH surgery and to understand key system challenges. The study was set within a representative neurosurgical care system in the east of England. DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients referred for cSDH surgery. Alongside case record review, patient and staff experience were explored using surveys as well as an interactive c-design workshop. Challenges were identified from thematic analysis of survey responses and triangulated by focussed workshop discussions. RESULTS: Data on 381 patients referred for cSDH surgery from six centres was reviewed. One hundred and fifty-six (41%) patients were repatriated following surgery. Sixty-one (39%) of those repatriated suffered an inpatient complication (new infection, troponin rise or renal injury) following NSU discharge, with 58 requiring institutional discharge or new care. Surveys for staff (n = 42) and patients (n = 209) identified that resourcing, communication, and inter-hospital distance posed care challenges. This was corroborated through workshop discussions with stakeholders from two institutions. CONCLUSIONS: A significant amount of perioperative care for cSDH is delivered outside of specialist centres. Future improvement initiatives must recognise the system-wide nature of delivery and the challenges such an arrangement presents.

Passive or active drainage system for chronic subdural haematoma-a single-center retrospective follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative drainage systems have become a standard treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). We previously compared treatment results from three Scandinavian centers using three different postoperative drainage systems and concluded that the active subgaleal drainage was associated with lower recurrence and complication rates than the passive subdural drainage. We consequently changed clinical practice from using the passive subdural drainage to the active subgaleal drainage. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess a potential change in reoperation rates for CSDH after conversion to the active subgaleal drainage. METHODS: This single-center cohort study compared the reoperation rates for recurrent same-sided CSDH and postoperative complication rates between patients treated during two study periods (passive subdural drainage cohort versus active subgaleal drainage cohort). RESULTS: In total, 594 patients were included in the study. We found no significant difference in reoperation rates between the passive subdural drain group and the active subgaleal drain group (21.6%, 95% CI 17.5-26.4% vs. 18.0%, 95% CI 13.8-23.2%; p = 0.275). There was no statistical difference in the rate of serious complications between the groups. The operating time was significantly shorter for patients operated with the active subgaleal drain than patients with the passive subdural drain (32.8 min, 95% CI 31.2-34.5 min vs. 47.6 min, 95% CI 44.7-50.4 min; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Conversion from the passive subdural to the active subgaleal drainage did not result in a clear reduction of reoperation rates for CSDH in our center.

Impact of antithrombotic agents on outcomes in patients requiring surgery for chronic subdural haematoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is a collection of aged blood between the dura and the brain, typically treated with surgical evacuation. Many patients with CSDH have comorbidities requiring the use of antithrombotic medications. The optimal management of these medications in the context of CSDH remains unknown, as the risk of recurrence must be carefully weighed against the risk of vaso-occlusive events. To better understand these risks and inform the development of clinical practice guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, searching Medline and Embase databases. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023397061). A total of 44 studies were included, encompassing 1 prospective cohort study and 43 retrospective cohort studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for CSDH recurrence and vaso-occlusive events in patients taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications compared to patients not receiving antithrombotic therapy. GRADE was used to assess the quality of evidence. In patients on anticoagulant therapy at CSDH diagnosis, the pooled OR for CSDH recurrence was 1.41 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.79; I2 = 28%). For patients on antiplatelet therapy, the pooled OR was 1.31 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.58; I2 = 32%). Patients taking antithrombotic medications had a significantly higher risk of vaso-occlusive events, with a pooled OR of 3.74 (95% CI 2.12 to 6.60; I2 = 0%). There was insufficient evidence to assess the impact of time to recommence antithrombotic medication on CSDH outcomes. We found that baseline antithrombotic use is associated with the risk of CSDH recurrence and vaso-occlusive events following surgical evacuation. The evidence base is of low quality, and decisions regarding antithrombotic therapy should be individualised for each patient. Further high-quality, prospective studies or registry-based designs are needed to better inform clinical decision-making and establish evidence-based guidelines.

New horizons in subdural haematoma.

Subdural haematoma (SDH) is a common injury sustained by older people living with frailty and multimorbidity, and typically following falls from a standing height. Anticoagulant and antiplatelet use are commonly indicated in older people with SDH, but few data inform decision-making surrounding these agents in the context of intracranial bleeding. Opposing risks of rebleeding and thrombosis must therefore be weighed judiciously. Decision-making can be complex and requires detailed awareness of the epidemiology to ensure the safest course of action is selected for each patient. Outcomes of surgical decompression in acute SDH are very poor in older people. However, burr hole drainage can be safe and effective in older adults with symptomatic chronic SDH (cSDH). Such patients need careful assessment to ensure symptoms arise from cSDH and not from coexisting medical pathology. Furthermore, the emerging treatment of middle meningeal artery embolisation offers a well-tolerated, minimally invasive intervention which may reduce the risks of rebleeding in older adults. Nonetheless, UK SDH management is heterogenous, and no accepted UK or European guidelines exist at present. Further randomised trial evidence is required to move away from clinical practice based on historic observational data.

How does research activity align with research need in chronic subdural haematoma: a gap analysis of systematic reviews with end-user selected knowledge gaps.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is increasingly common. Although treatment is triaged and provided by neurosurgery, the role of non-operative care, alongside observed peri-operative morbidity and patient complexity, suggests that optimum care requires a multi-disciplinary approach. A UK consortium (Improving Care in Elderly Neurosurgery Initiative [ICENI]) has been formed to develop the first comprehensive clinical practice guideline. This starts by identifying critical questions to ask of the literature. The aim of this review was to consider whether existing systematic reviews had suitably addressed these questions. METHODS: Critical research questions to inform CSDH care were identified using multi-stakeholder workshops, including patient and public representation. A CSDH umbrella review of full-text systematic reviews and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement (CRD42022328562). Four databases were searched from inception up to 30 April 2022. Review quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2 criteria, mapped to critical research questions. RESULTS: Forty-four critical research questions were identified, across 12 themes. Seventy-three articles were included in the umbrella review, comprising 206,369 patients. Most reviews (86.3%, n=63) assessed complications and recurrence after surgery. ICENI themes were not addressed in current literature, and duplication of reviews was common (54.8%, n=40). AMSTAR-2 confidence rating was high in 7 (9.6%) reviews, moderate in 8 (11.0%), low in 10 (13.7%) and critically low in 48 (65.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The ICENI themes have yet to be examined in existing secondary CSDH literature, and a series of new reviews is now required to address these questions for a clinical practice guideline. There is a need to broaden and redirect research efforts to meet the organisation of services and clinical needs of individual patients.

Assessing the accuracy of the International Classification of Disease (ICD) framework in the identification of patients with chronic subdural haematoma from hospital records.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the commonest neurosurgical pathologies with an increasing incidence. Observational studies of routine care have demonstrated high perioperative morbidity and approximately 10% mortality at one year. The development, implementation, and evaluation of a potential care framework relies on an accurate and reproducible method of case identification and case ascertainment. With this manuscript, we report on the accuracy of diagnostic ICD codes for identifying patients with CSDH from retrospective electronic data and explore whether basic demographic data could improve the identification of CSDH. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from the hospital administrative system between 2014 and 2018 of all patients coded with either S065 or I620. Analysis of the ICD codes in identifying patients with CSDH diagnosis was calculated using the caretR package in RStudioR,.and stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the best predictive model for CSDH. RESULTS: A total of 1861 patients were identified. Of these, 189 (10.2%) had a diagnosis of non-traumatic SDH (I620) and 1672 (89.8%) traumatic subdural haematomas (S065). Variables that identified CSDH as a diagnosis on univariate logistic regression included male sex (Odds Ratios (OR) - 1.606 (1.197-2.161), elderly age (OR) - 1.023 (1.015-1.032) per year for age (p < 0.001) and shorter length of hospital stay. Using stepwise regression against AIC the best model to predict CSDH included male sex, older age, and shorter LOS. The calculated sensitivity for identifying CSDH with the model is 88.4% with a specificity of 84.5% and PPV of 87.9%. CONCLUSION: CSDH is a common neurosurgical pathology with increasing incidence and ongoing unmet clinical need. We demonstrate that case ascertainment for research purposes can be improved with the incorporation of additional demographic data but at the expense of significant case exclusion.

Giant cell glioblastoma multiforme presents as acute pathological nontraumatic subdural haematoma.

We describe a case of giant cell glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) that presented with a non-traumatic acute subdural haematoma (NASDH). A 57-year-old male had a sudden onset headache and rapid deterioration in conscious level with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 5 and dilated unreactive left pupil. CT of the head revealed a left acute subdural haematoma with mass effect and a left parietal lesion. Our literature review revealed that glioblastoma presenting as an acute subdural haematoma is extremely unusual. To our knowledge, we report the second case. We propose an invasion of the arachnoid and cortical veins by the aggressive tumour as a possible underlying mechanism.

Spontaneous spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage and subdural haematoma upon customary bowing: a case report.

Spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage is a rare clinical condition, and a spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage associated with subdural haematoma is extremely infrequent. Iatrogenic causes such as trauma and lumbar puncture, coagulopathy, arteriovenous malformation, spinal artery aneurysm, vasculitis or neoplasm are known predisposing factors. Minor effort or trauma can be a cause of spontaneous spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Herein, we report a rare case of spontaneous spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage and subdural haematoma that occurred when the patient engaged in a kneeling bow on the floor.

Non-iatrogenic spontaneous acute spinal subdural haematoma after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

PURPOSE: Reporting a rare case of a non-iatrogenic spontaneously resolved spinal subdural haematoma (SSDH) following revision of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and its possible explanation. METHODS: Case report of a 40-year-old man with a history of persistent lower back and left lower extremity radicular pain, secondary to recurrent disc prolapse, lumbar spondylosis with foraminal stenosis. He underwent an L5/S1 transforaminal interbody fusion via a right sided approach (through previous lumbar microdiscectomy incision). On post-operative day two, the patient developed headache and photophobia that were discovered to be secondary to an acute thoracolumbar subdural haematoma with no objective neurological deficit. RESULTS: After close observation of his neurological status and conservative management of the subdural haematoma, the patient fully recovered from his symptoms and remained problem-free at 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although the occurrence of acute spinal subdural haematoma after spinal surgery is a rare complication following spinal surgery, its appropriate management relies on early recognition if significant morbidity is to be avoided.

Subdural haematoma in the elderly: management and outcomes of a UK Major Trauma Centre.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 40% of all traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs in ≥70-year-olds with a high prevalence of traumatic subdural haematoma (tSDH). It is anticipated that an expanding elderly population will lead to a proportional increase in the incidence of patients with tSDH presenting to UK trauma centres, but the long-term clinical outcomes and factors influencing functional outcomes in this patient group remain poorly understood. AIM: To examine the management and clinical outcomes for elderly (≥70 years) patients diagnosed with tSDH. METHODS: Patient data for this single-centre, retrospective cohort study were analysed from a Major Trauma Centre (MTC) electronic patient records between January 2013 and December 2019. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty patients were included, 43% aged 70-79, 42% aged 80-89 and 15% >90. In total, 37% underwent a surgical intervention. The 6-month survival in the severe, moderate, and mild TBI groups was 14%, 43%, and 67%, respectively. The 6-month survival in the surgical group was 58%, vs. 60% in the conservatively managed group. Surgical intervention did not significantly impact Extended Glasgow Coma Score (GOS-E) at 6 months, regardless of injury severity. Advanced age (p = 0.04), mixed intracranial injuries (p < 0.0001), craniotomies (p = 0.03), and poor premorbid performance status (p = 0.02) were associated with worse survival and functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that increasing age, increasing severity of TBI and poorer premorbid performance status were associated with significantly poorer 6-month survival and functional outcomes in elderly patients with tSDH. Burr hole evacuation was associated with better functional outcomes compared to craniotomy, but overall, there was no significant difference in the outcomes of the surgical and non-surgical groups. We identified strong risk factors for death and poor functional outcomes at 6-months which are important to consider when counselling patients and families about the long-term prognosis of elderly patients with tSDH and can help guide clinical decision-making.

A multicentre retrospective cohort study on health-related quality of life after traumatic acute subdural haematoma: does cranial laterality affect long-term recovery?

BACKGROUND: Traumatic acute subdural haematoma is a debilitating condition. Laterality intuitively influences management and outcome. However, in contrast to stroke, this research area is rarely studied. The aim is to investigate whether the hemisphere location of the ASDH influences patient outcome. METHODS: For this multicentre observational retrospective cohort study, patients were considered eligible when they were treated by a neurosurgeon for traumatic brain injury between 2008 and 2012, were > 16 years of age, had sustained brain injury with direct presentation to the emergency room and showed a hyperdense, crescent shaped lesion on the computed tomography scan. Patients were followed for a duration of 3-9 months post-trauma for functional outcome and 2-6 years for health-related quality of life. Main outcomes and measures included mortality, Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Quality of Life after Brain Injury score. The hypothesis was formulated after data collection. RESULTS: Of the 187 patients included, 90 had a left-sided ASDH and 97 had a right-sided haematoma. Both groups were comparable at baseline and with respect to the executed treatment. Furthermore, both groups showed no significant difference in mortality and Glasgow Outcome Scale score. Health-related quality of life, assessed 59 months (IQR 43-66) post-injury, was higher for patients with a right-sided haematoma (Quality of Life after Brain Injury score: 80 vs 61, P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests patients with a right-sided acute subdural haematoma have a better long-term health-related quality of life compared to patients with a left-sided acute subdural haematoma.

Time to medical fitness for discharge following surgical evacuation of chronic subdural haematoma with general or regional anaesthesia: a prospective randomised trial.

General or regional anaesthesia can be used for chronic subdural haematoma evacuation, but no study has compared these types of anaesthesia in terms of peri-operative outcomes. This single-centre, prospective, randomised study included adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) undergoing surgical chronic subdural haematoma evacuation. Patients were randomly allocated to general (target-controlled total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol and remifentanil) or regional anaesthesia (bilateral scalp block with remifentanil sedation if required). The primary outcome measure was duration of hospital stay, based on the day patients were judged by an investigator blinded from the allocation group to be medically fit for discharge. Secondary outcomes included: rate of regional anaesthesia failure; rate of intra-operative and postoperative adverse events at 24 hours; and pain scores at 24 hours. Data from 60 patients were analysed (30 general anaesthesia and 30 regional anaesthesia). Median (IQR [range]) time until patients were judged medically fit for discharge was 3 (3-3 [2-10]) days and 3 (2-5 [2-15]) days for general and regional anaesthesia, respectively (p = 0.700). Regional anaesthesia failed in two patients. There were more intra-operative adverse events in patients who received general anaesthesia (25 vs. 11, respectively; p = 0.001). The occurrence of postoperative adverse events was similar for general and regional anaesthesia (16 vs. 13 patients, respectively; p = 0.605). In patients requiring chronic subdural haematoma evacuation, general and regional anaesthesia are comparable in terms of duration of time until medically fit for discharge and occurrence of postoperative complications. The rate of intra-operative adverse events (mainly arterial hypotension) is greater with general anaesthesia.

Chronic subdural haematoma: the role of peri-operative medicine in a common form of reversible brain injury.

Epidemiological studies project a significant rise in cases of chronic subdural haematoma over the next 20 years. Patients with this condition are frequently older and medically complex, with baseline characteristics that may increase peri-operative risk. The intra-operative period is only a small portion of a patient's total hospital stay, with a majority of patients in the United Kingdom transferred between institutions for their surgical and rehabilitative care. Definitive management remains surgical, but peri-operative challenges exist which resonate with other surgical cohorts where multidisciplinary working has become the gold standard. These include shared decision-making, medical optimisation, the management of peri-operative anticoagulation and the identification of key points of equipoise for examination in the future trials. In this narrative review, we use a stereotyped patient journey to provide context to the recent literature, highlighting where multidisciplinary expertise may be required to optimise patient care and maximise the benefits of surgical management. We discuss the triage, pre-operative optimisation, intra-operative management and immediate postoperative care of patients undergoing surgery for a chronic subdural haematoma. We also discuss where adjunctive medical management may be indicated. In so doing, we present the current and emerging evidence base for the role of an integrated peri-operative medicine team in the care of patients with a chronic subdural haematoma.

Re-evaluation of medical findings in alleged shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma in Norwegian courts fails to support abuse diagnoses.

AIM: The criteria for diagnosing abusive head trauma (AHT) are not well defined and this condition might be diagnosed on failing premises. Our aim was to review criminal AHT cases in Norwegian courts by scrutinising the underlying medical documentation. METHODS: Cases were identified in the data registry for Norwegian courts from 2004 to 2015. Documentation was obtained from relevant health institutions. The medical co-authors first made independent evaluations of the documentation for each child, followed by a consensus evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 17 children (11 boys) were identified, all diagnosed as AHT by court appointed experts, 15 were infants (mean age 2.6 months). A high proportion (41.2%) was born to immigrant parents and 31.3% were premature. The medical findings could be explained by alternative diagnoses in 16 of the 17 children; 8 boys (7 infants - mean age 2.9 months) had clinical and radiological characteristics compatible with external hydrocephalus complicated by chronic subdural haematoma. Six children (five infants with mean age 2.1 months) had a female preponderance and findings compatible with hypoxic ischaemic insults. CONCLUSION: The medical condition in most children had not necessarily been caused by shaking or direct impact, as was originally concluded by the court experts.

Risk factors for postoperative seizures in patients with chronic subdural haematomas.

Postoperative seizures are a frequently occurring yet not well-understood complication in patients undergoing surgical treatment of chronic subdural haematomas (cSDHs). Therefore, we investigated surgical and non-surgical risk factors that are commonly considered causal in provoking epileptic seizures, paying special attention to the intracranial course of the subdural drain (SDD) and the configuration of the haematoma. Data of patients with a cSDH, that were treated at our neurosurgical department between 2008 and 2014 were analysed. Patients suffering from severe pre-existing conditions and those who have been treated conservatively were excluded. Epidemiologic data as well as relevant clinical data were collected. Pre- and postoperative CT scans were analysed regarding morpho- and volumetric parameters. In order to objectify the influence of the SDD, its intracranial course and localisation (entering angle as well as the angle between drain and brain surface) were measured. For statistical analysis, univariate and multiple logistic regression models as well as Fisher's exact test were used. Two hundred eleven consecutive patients have been included. Mean age was 75.6 years, and 69% were male. Nineteen (9%) patients suffered from postsurgical seizures. Membranes within the haematoma were present in 81.5%. Pre- to postoperative haematoma reduction was significant (mean of difference - 12.76 mm/ - 9.47 mm in coronal/axial CT planes, p = 0.001/ < 0.001). In 77.9%, SDD showed cortical contact with eloquent regions and had an unfavourable course in 30 cases (14.2%). Surgical complications consisted of cortical bleeding in 2.5%, fresh subdural haematoma in 33.5% and wound infections in 1.4% of patients. Neither in univariate nor in multiple regression analyses any of the following independent variates was significantly correlated with postsurgical seizures: pre-existing epilepsy, alcohol abuse, right-sided haematomas, localization and thickness of haematoma, presence of septations, SDD-localization and to-brain angle, subdural air, and electrolyte levels. Instead, in multiple regression analyses, we found the risk of postsurgical seizures to be significantly correlated and increased with left-sided cSDH treated via craniotomy (p = 0.03) and an unfavourable course of the SDD in left-sided cSDH (p = 0.033). Burr hole trepanation should be preferred over craniotomy and care must be taken when placing a SDD to avoid irritating cortical tissue. The configuration of the haematoma does not appear to affect the postoperative seizure rate.

Is external hydrocephalus a possible differential diagnosis when child abuse is suspected?

BACKGROUND: Criteria for diagnosing abusive head trauma (AHT) or "shaken baby syndrome" are not well defined; consequently, these conditions might be diagnosed on failing premises. METHODS: The authors have collected a total of 28 infants, from the US (20) and Norway (8), suspected of having been violently shaken, and their caregivers had been suspected, investigated, prosecuted or convicted of having performed this action. Among 26 symptomatic infants, there were 18 boys (69%) and 8 girls (31%)-mean age 5.1 month, without age difference between genders. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 26 symptomatic children (81%) had a head circumference at or above the 90 percentile, and 18 had a head circumference at or above the 97 percentile. After macrocephaly, seizure was the most frequent initial symptom in 13 (50%) of the symptomatic infants. Seventeen (65%) of the symptomatic infants had bilateral retinal haemorrhages, and two had unilateral retinal haemorrhages. All infants had neuroimaging compatible with chronic subdural haematomas/hygromas as well as radiological characteristics compatible with benign external hydrocephalus (BEH). CONCLUSIONS: BEH with subdural haematomas/hygromas in infants may sometimes be misdiagnosed as abusive head trauma. Based on the authors' experience and findings of the study, the following measures are suggested to avoid this diagnostic pitfall: medical experts in infant abuse cases should be trained in recognising clinical and radiological BEH features, clinicians with neuro-paediatric experience should always be included in the expert teams and reliable information about the head circumference development from birth should always be available.

Closure intracranial pressure is an objective intraoperative determinant of the adequacy of surgical decompression in traumatic acute subdural haematoma: a multicentre observational study.

PURPOSE: Acute subdural haematoma (ASDH) is associated with severe traumatic brain injury and poor outcomes. Although guidelines exist for the decompression of ASDH, the question of adequate decompression remains unanswered. The authors examined the relationship of intracranial pressure (ICP) on closure with outcomes to determine its utility in the determination of adequate ASDH decompression. METHODS: A multicentre retrospective review of 105 consecutive patients with ASDH who underwent decompressive surgery was performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with internal validation was performed to determine an ICP threshold for the division of patients into the inadequate and good ICP groups. Multivariable analyses were performed for both inpatient and long-term outcomes. RESULTS: An ICP threshold of 10 mmHg was identified with a 91.5% specificity, 45.7% sensitivity, and a positive and negative predictive value of 80.8% and 68.4%. There were 26 patients (24.8%) and 79 patients (75.2%) in the inadequate and good ICP groups, respectively. After adjustment, the inadequate ICP group was associated with increased postoperative usage of mannitol (OR 14.2, p < 0.001) and barbiturates (OR 150, p = 0.001). Inadequate ICP was also associated with increased inpatient mortality (OR 24.9, p < 0.001), and a lower rate of favourable MRS at 1 year (OR 0.08, p = 0.008). The complication rate was similar amongst the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Closure ICP is a novel, objective, and actionable intraoperative biomarker that correlates with inpatient and long-term outcomes in ASDH. Various surgical manoeuvres can be undertaken to achieve this target safely. Large-scale prospective studies should be performed to validate this ICP threshold.

Middle meningeal artery embolisation for chronic subdural haematomas: the first prospective UK study.

Background/Objectives: MMA embolisation has emerged in recent years as a safe endovascular treatment for chronic subdural haematoma. We report the first UK series of endovascular treatment of chronic subdural haematomas.Design: Prospective case series.Subjects: All adult patients referred with midline shift ≤10 mm and GCS ≥13 were considered. Patients had to be mobile with a standard origin of Middle Meningeal and Ophthalmic arteries. Patients with GCS < 13 or profound weakness (MRC grade ≤ 3) were treated with burr hole drainage and placement of subdural drains.Methods: Patients were recruited over a 14-month period from 25 October 2020 to 25 December 21 through our electronic referral system. Patients' demographics, pre-morbid modified Rankin Score (mRS), symptoms; anticoagulation and co-morbidities were prospectively collected. Suitability for endovascular treatment was discussed with the interventional neuroradiologist and neurosurgeon. SQUID-12 embolic material was used for all MMA embolisations, which was performed under general anaesthetic. Baseline CT/MRI characteristics were collected. Further imaging was obtained at 7, 21, 90 and 180 days. Clinical assessment and mRS was completed at three months.Results: Fifteen patients underwent endovascular embolisation of MMA in the study period. Of these 13 were male, median age was 79 years. Median length of stay was four days. Follow-up CT at three months has demonstrated significant reduction in both midline shift (p = 0.002) and maximum thickness of haematoma (p = 0.001). Nine patients had reached the three months' follow-up period. All of them had complete or near-complete resolution of the CSDH. One patient required surgical rescue at two months post procedure due to progression of CSDH. We report one mortality due to COVID-19.Conclusions: For select patients, MMA embolisation is a safe alternative treatment option for chronic subdural haematoma. As we gain more experience, the procedure could be performed under local anaesthetic.

A proposed novel traumatic brain injury classification system - an overview and inter-rater reliability validation on behalf of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons.

INTRODUCTION: The measurement of traumatic brain injury (TBI) 'severity' has traditionally been based on the earliest Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) recorded, however, the underlying parenchymal pathology is highly heterogonous. This heterogeneity renders prediction of outcome on an individual patient level inaccurate and makes comparison between patients both in clinical practice and research difficult. The complexity of this heterogeneity has resulted in generic all encompassing 'traumatic brain injury protocols'. Early management and studies of neuro-protectants are often done irrespective of TBI type, yet it may well be that a specific treatment may be beneficial in a subset of TBI pathologies. METHODS: A simple CT-based classification system rating the recognised types of blunt TBI (extradural, subdural, subarachnoid haemorrhage, contusions/intracerebral haematoma and diffuse axonal injury) as mild (1), moderate (2) or severe (3) is proposed. Hypoxic brain injury, a common secondary injury following TBI, is also included. Scores can be combined to reflect concomitant types of TBI and predominant location of injury is also recorded. To assess interrater reliability, 50 patient CT images were assessed by 5 independent clinicians of varying experience. Interrater reliability was calculated using overall agreement through Cronbach's alpha including confidence intervals for intra-class coefficients. RESULTS: Interrater reliability scores showed strong agreement for same score and same injury for TBIs with blood on CT and Cronbach's alpha co-efficient (range 0.87-0.93) demonstrated excellent correlation between raters. Cronbach's alpha was not affected when individual raters were removed. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed simple CT classification system has good inter-rater reliability and hence potentially could enable better individual prognostication and targeted treatments to be compared while also accounting for multiple intracranial injury types. Further studies are proposed and underway.

Domestic violence in the clinical practice of gynecologists and obstetricians.

The issue of domestic violence is neglected in current medical practice and the dia-gnosis associated with it thus escapes the attention of medical professionals. In this case report, we demonstrate rare and typical diseases of abused women, which should become warning signs for physicians (red flags) and lead them to screen domestic violence and intervene early. Failure to recognize domestic abuse as the cause of chronic health problems leads to lasting consequences and economically and personally burdens the health care system. Healthcare professionals of all specialties encounter abused women during their clinical practice and can thus actively participate in the prevention of domestic violence. However, it is women of reproductive age who are most at risk, so educating gynecologists and obstetricians on this issue is crucial. The aim of this article with a case study is to demonstrate the syndrome of a battered woman, its recognition and the possibility of immediate and brief intervention.