Traumatic middle meningeal arteriovenous fistulas (MMAVFs): an exploratory systematic review.

This study aims to systematically review case reports and case series in order to compare the postoperative course of conservative, endovascular and surgical treatments for traumatic dural arteriovenous fistulas predominantly supplied by the middle meningeal artery (MMAVFs), which usually occur following head trauma or iatrogenic causes. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar until June 23rd, 2024. Three cohorts were defined based on the treatment modality employed. The primary outcomes were the rates of overall obliteration and postoperative complications, with all-cause mortlality considered as secondary outcome. A total of 61 studies encompassing 78 pooled MMAVFs were included in the qualitative analysis. The predominant demographic consisted of males (53.9%) with a median age of 50.5 (IQR: 33.5-67.5) years. The main etiologies for fistula formation were head trauma (75.6%), cranial neurosurgical procedures (11.5%) and endovascular embolization (8.97%). Venous drainage patterns were categorized as follows based on anatomical confluence: Class I (16.7%), II (14.1%), III (12.8%), IV (14.1%), V (7.7%), and VI (3.9%). Regarding treatment efficacy, the overall obliteration rate was 89.74%, achieved through endovascular (95.83%), surgical (64.29%) or conservative (93.75%) approaches. In terms of safety, the overall postoperative complication rate was 6.49% with an all-cause mortality rate of 8.97%, predominantly observed in the surgical group (35.71%). Our systematic review highlights the challenging management of traumatic MMAVFs, frequently associated with head injuries. Endovascular therapy has emerged as the predominant treatment modality, demonstrating markedly higher rates of fistula obliteration, reduced all-cause mortality, and fewer postoperative complications.

Differences in outcomes of mandatory motorcycle helmet legislation by country income level: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The recent Lancet Commission on Legal Determinants of Global Health argues that governance can provide the framework for achieving sustainable development goals. Even though over 90% of fatal road traffic injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) primarily affecting motorcyclists, the utility of helmet laws outside of high-income settings has not been well characterized. We sought to evaluate the differences in outcomes of mandatory motorcycle helmet legislation and determine whether these varied across country income levels. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were completed using the PRISMA checklist. A search for relevant articles was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from January 1, 1990 to August 8, 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated helmet usage, mortality from motorcycle crash, or traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence, with and without enactment of a mandatory helmet law as the intervention. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to rate study quality and funnel plots, and Begg's and Egger's tests were used to assess for small study bias. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were stratified by high-income countries (HICs) versus LMICs using the random-effects model. Twenty-five articles were included in the final analysis encompassing a total study population of 31,949,418 people. There were 17 retrospective cohort studies, 2 prospective cohort studies, 1 case-control study, and 5 pre-post design studies. There were 16 studies from HICs and 9 from LMICs. The median NOS score was 6 with a range of 4 to 9. All studies demonstrated higher odds of helmet usage after implementation of helmet law; however, the results were statistically significantly greater in HICs (OR: 53.5; 95% CI: 28.4; 100.7) than in LMICs (OR: 4.82; 95% CI: 3.58; 6.49), p-value comparing both strata < 0.0001. There were significantly lower odds of motorcycle fatalities after enactment of helmet legislation (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61; 0.83) with no significant difference by income classification, p-value: 0.27. Odds of TBI were statistically significantly lower in HICs (OR: 0.61, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.69) than in LMICs (0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.86) after enactment of law (p-value: 0.0001). Limitations of this study include variability in the methodologies and data sources in the studies included in the meta-analysis as well as the lack of available literature from the lowest income countries or from the African WHO region, in which helmet laws are least commonly present. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that mandatory helmet laws had substantial public health benefits in all income contexts, but some outcomes were diminished in LMIC settings where additional measures such as public education and law enforcement might play critical roles.

Increased complement activation 3 to 6 h after trauma is a predictor of prolonged mechanical ventilation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Complement activation is a central mechanism in systemic inflammation and remote organ dysfunction following major trauma. Data on temporal changes of complement activation early after injury is largely missing. We aimed to describe in detail the kinetics of complement activation in individual trauma patients from admission to 10 days after injury, and the association with trauma characteristics and outcome. METHODS: In a prospective cohort of 136 trauma patients, plasma samples obtained with high time resolution (admission, 2, 4, 6, 8 h, and thereafter daily) were assessed for terminal complement complex (TCC). We studied individual TCC concentration curves and calculated a summary measure to obtain the accumulated TCC response 3 to 6 h after injury (TCC-AUC3-6). Correlation analyses and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to explore associations between individual patients' admission TCC, TCC-AUC3-6, daily TCC during the intensive care unit stay, trauma characteristics, and predefined outcome measures. RESULTS: TCC concentration curves showed great variability in temporal shapes between individuals. However, the highest values were generally seen within the first 6 h after injury, before they subsided and remained elevated throughout the intensive care unit stay. Both admission TCC and TCC-AUC3-6 correlated positively with New Injury Severity Score (Spearman's rho, p-value 0.31, 0.0003 and 0.21, 0.02) and negatively with admission Base Excess (- 0.21, 0.02 and - 0.30, 0.001). Multivariable analyses confirmed that deranged physiology was an important predictor of complement activation. For patients without major head injury, admission TCC and TCC-AUC3-6 were negatively associated with ventilator-free days. TCC-AUC3-6 outperformed admission TCC as a predictor of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at day 0 and 4. CONCLUSIONS: Complement activation 3 to 6 h after injury was a better predictor of prolonged mechanical ventilation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome than admission TCC. Our data suggest that the greatest surge of complement activation is found within the first 6 h after injury, and we argue that this time period should be in focus in the design of future experimental studies and clinical trials using complement inhibitors.

Implementation of Institutional Triaging Algorithms Decreases Head and Neck MDCT Use in Blunt Trauma.

Background Multidetector CT (MDCT) enables rapid and accurate diagnosis of head and neck (HN) injuries in patients with blunt trauma (BT). However, MDCT is overused, and appropriate selection of patients for imaging could improve workflow. Purpose To investigate the effect of implementing clinical triaging algorithms on use of MDCT in the HN in patients who have sustained BT. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, patients aged 15 years or older with BT admitted between October 28, 2007, and December 31, 2013, were included. Patients were divided into pre- and postalgorithm groups. The institutional trauma registry and picture archiving and communication system reports were reviewed to determine which patients underwent MDCT of the head, MDCT of the cervical spine (CS), and MDCT angiography of the HN at admission and whether these examinations yielded positive results. Injury Severity Score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (only those patients in the intensive care unit), length of hospital stay (LOS), length of intensive care unit stay (ICULOS), and mortality were obtained from the trauma registry. Results A total of 8999 patients (mean age, 45 years ± 20 [standard deviation]; age range, 15-101 years; 6027 male) were included in this study. A lower percentage of the postalgorithm group versus the prealgorithm group underwent MDCT of the head (55.8% [2774 of 4969 patients]; 95% CI: 54.4, 57.2 vs 64.2% [2589 of 4030 patients]; 95% CI: 62.8, 65.7; P < .001) and CS (49.4% [2452 of 4969 patients]; 95% CI: 48.0, 50.7 vs 60.5% [2438 of 4030 patients]; 95% CI: 59.0, 62.0; P < .001) but not MDCT angiography of the HN (9.7% [480 of 4969 patients]; 95% CI: 8.9, 10.5 vs 9.8% [393 of 4030 patients]; 95% CI: 8.9, 10.7; P > .99). Pre- versus postalgorithm groups did not differ in LOS (mean, 4.8 days ± 7.1 vs 4.5 days ± 7.1, respectively; P = .42), ICULOS (mean, 4.6 days ± 6.6 vs 4.8 days ± 6.7, respectively; P > .99), or mortality (2.9% [118 of 4030 patients]; 95% CI: 2.5, 3.5; vs 2.8% [141 of 4969 patients]; 95% CI: 2.4, 3.3; respectively; P > .99). Conclusion Implementation of a clinical triaging algorithm resulted in decreased use of multidetector CT of the head and cervical spine in patients who experienced blunt trauma, without increased adverse outcomes. © RSNA, 2021 See also the editorial by Munera and Martin in this issue.

Intracranial hemorrhage after head injury among older patients on anticoagulation seen in the emergency department: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after head injury is a concern among older adult patients on anticoagulation. We evaluated the risk of ICH after an emergency department visit for head injury among patients 65 years and older taking warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) compared with patients not taking anticoagulants. We also evaluated risk of 30-day mortality and neurosurgical intervention among patients with ICH. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used population-based data of patients 65 years and older seen in an Ontario emergency department with a head injury. We matched patients on the propensity score to create 3 pairwise-matched cohorts based on anticoagulation status (warfarin v. DOAC, warfarin v. no anticoagulant, DOAC v. no anticoagulant). For each cohort, we calculated the relative risk of ICH at the index emergency department visit and 30-day mortality. We also calculated the hazard of neurosurgical intervention among patients with ICH. RESULTS: We identified 77 834 patients with head injury, including 64 917 (83.4%) who were not on anticoagulation, 9214 (11.8%) who were on DOACs and 3703 (4.8%) who were on warfarin. Of these, 5.9% of patients had ICH at the index emergency department visit. Patients on warfarin had an increased risk of ICH compared with matched patients on DOACs (relative risk [RR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-1.69) and patients not on anticoagulation (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.15-1.61). We did not observe a difference in ICH between patients on DOACs compared with matched patients not on anticoagulation. In patients with ICH, 30-day mortality did not differ by anticoagulation status or type. Patients on warfarin had an increased hazard of neurosurgery compared with patients not on anticoagulation. INTERPRETATION: Patients on warfarin seen in the emergency department with a head injury had higher relative risks of ICH than matched patients on a DOAC and patients not on anticoagulation, respectively. The risk of ICH for patients on a DOAC was not significantly different compared with no anticoagulation. Further research should confirm that older adults using warfarin are the only group at higher risk of ICH after head injury.

Clinical predictors of poor 30-day headache outcomes after an emergency department visit for acute post-traumatic headache.

PURPOSE: We investigated clinical risk factors that predict poor 30-day headache outcomes among patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED) for post-traumatic headache (PTH). METHODS: This was an analysis of data from a randomized, placebo-controlled study of IV metoclopramide + diphenhydramine for acute PTH. Patients were enrolled during an ED visit and received telephone follow-up with a structured questionnaire 30 days later. The primary outcome was frequency of headaches 30 days after ED discharge. We used multivariable logistic regression models to determine which clinical variables were associated with frequent headaches at 30 days. RESULTS: In total, 160 patients were enrolled in the study. 134 (84%) patients completed the 30-day questionnaire and were included in the analysis, including 90 females and 44 males. 30 patients (22%, 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.30) reported frequent headaches at 30-day follow-up. In the multivariable analysis, female sex (OR = 4.03, 95% CI = 1.23±13.13), patients who blamed themselves for their injury (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.04±0.45), and patients who were unsure if they sustained loss of consciousness during the traumatic incident (OR = 5.63, 95% CI = 1.89±16.78) were found to be associated with poor 30-day outcomes. Medication received in the ED and age were not associated. CONCLUSIONS: More than 1 out of five patients treated in the ED for acute PTH experienced frequent headaches 30 days later. Women and patients who were uncertain as to whether they had experienced loss of consciousness were at increased risk of frequent PTH. Blaming oneself for the head trauma was associated with less frequent PTH.

Head injury and 25-year risk of dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Head injury is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Long-term associations of head injury with dementia in community-based populations are less clear. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 14,376 participants (mean age 54 years at baseline, 56% female, 27% Black, 24% with head injury) enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Head injury was defined using self-report and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth/Tenth Revision (ICD-9/10) codes. Dementia was defined using cognitive assessments, informant interviews, and ICD-9/10 and death certificate codes. RESULTS: Head injury was associated with risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-1.57), with evidence of dose-response (1 head injury: HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.13-1.39, 2+ head injuries: HR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.86-2.46). There was evidence for stronger associations among female participants (HR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.51-1.90) versus male participants (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.00-1.32), P-for-interaction < .001, and among White participants (HR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.40-1.72) versus Black participants (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02-1.45), P-for-interaction = .008. DISCUSSION: In this community-based cohort with 25-year follow-up, head injury was associated with increased dementia risk in a dose-dependent manner, with stronger associations among female participants and White participants.

Updating the risk profile of fatal head trauma: an autopsy study with focus on age- and sex-dependent differences.

Fatal head trauma (FHT) represents one of the most frequent causes of death diagnosed in forensic pathology. However, profound statistic autopsy data on FHT is still sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the circumstances and injury patterns of FHT with particular focus on age and sex, and additionally, to describe a recent risk profile of FHT. To this end, the forensic autopsy records of each FHT case at a large German university hospital during a 10-year period (2006-2015) were analyzed retrospectively (n = 372). The male-female ratio was 2.6:1. Regarding median age, females were 12.5 years older than males. Traffic-associated FHT represents the major mechanism of death, followed by fall-associated FHT. While accident was the major manner of death and presented a similar distribution of age and sex, homicides were the only subgroup with a significantly lower ratio between males and females. Skull fractures occurred in 78.2% and intracranial hemorrhages in 80.6% of all cases. In summary and partly in contrast to clinical data on head trauma, FHT still occurs predominantly in male individuals under the age of 45 years, in the context of traffic accidents and affected by alcohol intake. Improvements in traffic security as well as continuing surveillance of the incidence of FHT by forensic autopsies are necessary to further reduce the incidence of FHT.

Epidemiological Comparisons and Risk Factors for Pre-hospital and In-Hospital Mortality Following Traumatic Injury in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, trauma is a leading cause of mortality in people less than 45 years. Injury mechanism and cause of death are difficult to characterize in the absence of pre-hospital care and a trauma surveillance database. Pre-hospital deaths (PHD) and in-hospital deaths (IHD) of trauma patient were compared to elucidate comprehensive injury characteristics associated with mortality. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive analysis of adults (≥ 13 years) presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, from February 2008 to May 2018 was performed. Utilizing an emergency department-based trauma surveillance database, univariate and bivariate analysis was performed to compare patient and injury characteristics of pre-hospital and in-hospital deaths. A Poisson multivariate regression was performed, predicting the relative risk of PHD. RESULTS: Between February 2008 and May 2018, 131,020 adult trauma patients presented to KCH, with 2007 fatalities. Of those patients, 1130 (56.3%) and 877 (43.7%) were PHD and IHD, respectively. The majority were men, with a mean age of 33.4 years (SD 12.1) for PHD and 37.4 years (SD 15.5) for IHD, (p < 0.001). Head injuries (n = 545, 49.2% vs. n = 435, 49.7%) due to assaults (n = 255, 24.7% vs. n = 178, 21.8%) and motor vehicle collisions (MVC) (n = 188, 18.2% vs. n = 173, 21.2%) were the leading cause of both groups (PHD vs. IHD). Transportation to the hospital was primarily police (n = 663, 60.1%) for PHD and ambulance (n = 401, 46.4%) for IHD. Patients who were transported to KCH by the police (RR 1.97, 95% 1.52-2.55, p < 0.001) when compared to transport via minibus had an increased relative risk of PHD. Patients with a head or spine (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.34-1.53, p < 0.001), chest (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.11-1.62, p = 0.002) or abdomen and pelvis (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.14-1.53, p = 0.004) when compared to extremity injury had an increased relative risk of PHD. CONCLUSIONS: Head injury from assaults and MVC is the leading cause of PHD and IHD in Malawi. The majority of patients are transported via police if PHD. Of IHD patients, the majority are transported by ambulance, most often from outside hospitals. Both are consistent with the absence of a pre-hospital system in Malawi. Improving pre-hospital care, with a particular focus on head injury and strategies for vehicular injury prevention within a trauma system, will reduce adult trauma mortality in Malawi.

Automatic acoustic gunshot sensor technology's impact on trauma care.

INTRODUCTION: As cities nation-wide combat gun violence, with less than 20% of shots fired reported to police, use of acoustic gunshot sensor (AGS) technology is increasingly common. However, there are no studies to date investigating whether these technologies affect outcomes for victims of gunshot wounds (GSW). We hypothesized that the AGS technology would be associated with decreased prehospital transport time. METHODS: All GSW patients from 2014 to 2016 were collected from our institutional registry and cross-referenced with local police department data regarding times and locations of AGS alerts. Each GSW incident was categorized as related or unrelated to an AGS alert. Admission data, trauma outcomes, and prehospital time were then compared. RESULTS: We analyzed 731 patients. Of these, 192 were AGS-related (26%) and 539 were not (74%). AGS-related patients were more likely to be female (p < 0.01), have a higher injury severity score (ISS) (p < 0.01), and require an operation (p = 0.03). Ventilator days (p < 0.05) and hospital length of stay (p < 0.01) was greater in the AGS cohort. Mortality, however, did not differ between groups (p = 0.5). On multivariable analysis, both total prehospital time and on-scene time were lower in the AGS group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests reduced transport times, decreased prehospital and emergency medical service on-scene times with AGS technology. Additionally, despite higher ISS and use of more hospital resources, mortality was similar to non-AGS counterparts. The potential of AGS technology to further decrease prehospital times in the urban setting may provide an opportunity to improve outcomes in trauma patients with penetrating injuries.

Craniocervical trauma above the age of 90: are current prognostic scores sufficient?

Clinical data following head or spine trauma in patients over 90 years is rare. The aim of this study was to analyze this patient cohort, assessing clinical characteristics, outcomes, and survival rates and to identify variables that may predict early mortality. A retrospective analysis of all patients over the age of 90 that were treated between January 2006 and December 2016 at our department was performed. Patient characteristics, type of injury, and comorbidities were analyzed with regard to the 30-day mortality rate as the primary outcome. One hundred seventy-nine patients were identified. Mean age was 93 (range 90-102); 105 (59%) patients were female. One hundred thirty-two (74%) and 34 (19%) of patients presented with head and spinal trauma, respectively. Fourteen patients (8%) had a combined head and spine injury. One hundred (56%) patients were treated operatively. Mean Charlson comorbidity index was 4.1 (range 0-18), mean diagnosis count was 6.2 (range 0-12), mean geriatric index of comorbidity (GIC) was 3.3 (range 1-4), and mean Barthel index was 28 (range 0-100). The 30-day mortality rate was 31%. Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that head trauma had a 1.66 hazard ratio (p = 0.036) of dying within 30 days of admission, whereas a higher Glasgow coma score and surgical treatment had a hazard ratio of 0.88 (p = 0.0001) and 0.72 (p = 0.05) to reach the primary outcome. None of the standard geriatric scores reached any significant correlation with the primary outcome. Standard geriatric prognostic scores seem less reliable to predict mortality for patients above the age of 90. Higher Glasgow coma score and surgical treatment were associated with a higher survival probability.

Clarifying differences in injury patterns between ground-level falls and falls from heights among the elderly in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: With the progress of aging, fall injuries have become a global public health issue. This research was conducted to describe in detail situations of injury occurrence among the elderly by distinguishing between falls from heights and ground-level falls. We assume that different fall mechanisms occur in different situations and result in a wide range of consequences. STUDY DESIGN: This is a registry-based descriptive study. METHODS: The analysis included 55,126 patients with fall injuries, aged 65 years and more, having an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≧9, and registered in a trauma registry in Japan between 2004 and 2015. We described patients' distribution in terms of age, severity, outcome, season, time, and injured body parts by gender and fall mechanisms. RESULTS: Falls from heights (n = 15,748) were more common among men and those younger than 75 years. Ground-level falls (n = 39,378) were more common among women and those older than 75 years. The ISS was high in men and for those who fell from heights. Falls from heights were common in autumn, whereas ground-level falls were common in winter. Both mechanisms occurred frequently during the daytime. The head and lower extremities were the most commonly injured parts for those who fell from heights and ground-level falls, respectively. Injuries to the head, chest, spine, upper extremities, and pelvis were common among those who fell from heights. Injuries to the lower extremities were common in ground-level fallers. Among those who fell from heights, women had more frequent lower extremity injuries than did men. Among ground-level fallers, men had more frequent head injuries than did women. The highest case-fatality rate was recorded for abdominal injuries among those who fell from heights and head injuries among ground-level fallers. In both mechanisms of injury, the case-fatality rate of limbs was the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed different patterns between falls from heights and ground-level falls, whereas previous studies rarely distinguished between these two fall mechanisms.

Risk of significant traumatic brain injury in adults with minor head injury taking direct oral anticoagulants: a cohort study and updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) commonly undergo CT head imaging after minor head injury, regardless of symptoms or signs. However, the risk of intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) in such patients is unclear, and further research has been recommended by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence head injury guideline group. METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed in the UK South Yorkshire major trauma centre between 26 June and 3 September 2018. Adult patients taking DOACs with minor head injury were prospectively identified, with case ascertainment supplemented by screening of radiology and ED information technology systems. Clinical and outcome data were subsequently collated from patient records. The primary endpoint was adverse outcome within 30 days, comprising: neurosurgery, ICH or death due to head injury. A previously published meta-analysis was updated with the current results and the findings of other recent studies. RESULTS: 148 patients with minor head injury were included (GCS 15, n=107, 72%; GCS 14, n=41, 28%). Patients were elderly (median 82 years) and most frequently injured from ground level falls (n=142, 96%). Overall risk of adverse outcome was 3.4% (5/148, 95% CI 1.4% to 8.0%). Five patients had ICH, of whom one died within 30 days. One patient was treated with prothrombin complex concentrate but no patient received critical care management or underwent neurosurgical intervention. Updated random effects meta-analysis, including the current results and two further recent studies, showed a weighted overall risk of adverse outcome of 3.2% (n=29/787, 95% CI 2.0% to 4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of adverse outcome following mild head injury in patients taking DOACs appears low. These findings would support shared patient-clinician decision making, rather than routine imaging, following minor head injury while taking DOACs.

Epilepsy and seizure-related deaths: Mortality statistics do not tell the complete story.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the study was to identify where epilepsy or seizures may be the underlying cause of death but not identified by the death certification process in the Australian coronial system and to better characterize such deaths. METHODS: Australian National Coronial Information System (NCIS) closed cases for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) (population average 348,000) over 13 years were searched using cause of death, and a text search of police and autopsy reports, to identify all deaths where epilepsy or seizures were mentioned. Deaths where the underlying cause of death was not seizures or epilepsy were excluded (including suicide). The remaining cases (75) were categorized by the circumstances of death. Suspected sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) cases were further classified using the unified definition of SUDEP of Nashef and colleagues (2012). RESULTS: Of the final 75 cases, only 44 were found by the cause of death search. Key word document searches found another 31. Cases were classified as Definite SUDEP (37), Definite SUDEP Plus (10), Probable SUDEP (1), Possible SUDEP (3), Near SUDEP (4), Near SUDEP Plus (1), Asphyxia (3), Treatment-related (1), Head injury (2), Drowning (2), motor vehicle accident (MVA) (1), deaths related to a single convulsive seizure (6), and status epilepticus (SE) (4). Cases were 80% male. CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy and seizure-related deaths are underreported in the Australian Coronial system. Enhanced documentation of the causal chain of events leading to deaths would increase recognition. Using the unified SUDEP definition would expand SUDEP identification.

Evaluation of an integrated multisector campaign to increase child helmet use in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: This study presents child helmet use before, during and after implementing the Vietnamese National Child Helmet Action Plan (NCHAP) and evaluates its effect on child helmet use. The NCHAP, an integrated multisector campaign, incorporated a wide-scale public awareness campaign, school-based interventions, increased police patrolling and enforcement, and capacity building and support to relevant government departments in target provinces. METHODS: In Vietnam's three largest cities, 100 schools in 20 districts were selected to monitor motorcycle helmet use behaviour. The effectiveness of the NCHAP was measured by unannounced, filmed observations of student motorcycle passengers and their adult drivers as they arrived or left their schools at four points. Baseline observations at each school were conducted in March 2014, with subsequent observations in April 2015, December 2015 and May 2016. RESULTS: Across the 84 218 observed students, student helmet prevalence increased from 36.1% in March 2014 to 69.3% immediately after the initiation in April 2015. Subsequent observations in December 2015 and May 2016 showed a reduction and stabilisation of helmet use, with 49.8% and 56.9% of students wearing helmets, respectively. Helmet use in students was higher when adult drivers were also wearing helmets. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated multisectoral interventions between governments, civil society and the corporate sector that incorporate communications, school-based education, incentives for change and police enforcement have the potential to increase helmet use among children. Future integrated campaigns may be more effective with an increased focus on parents and other adult drivers given their potential influence on child helmet use.

Prehospital ketamine administration to pediatric trauma patients with head injuries in combat theaters.

BACKGROUND: Head injuries frequently occur in combat. Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines recommend pre-hospital use of ketamine for analgesia. Yet the use of this medication in patients with head injuries remains controversial, particularly among pediatric patients. We compare survival to hospital discharge rates among pediatric head injury subjects who received prehospital ketamine versus those who did not. METHODS: We queried the Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DODTR) for all pediatric (<18 years of age) subjects from January 2007 to January 2016. We performed a sub-analysis of subjects with an abbreviated injury severity score for the head of 3 (serious) or higher and at least one documented Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) ≤13. RESULTS: Of the 3439 pediatric patients within our dataset, 555 subjects met inclusion criteria for head injury - 36 (6.5%) received prehospital ketamine versus 519 (93.5%) who did not. There was no significant difference noted between groups regarding median age (10 versus 8, p = 0.259), percent male gender (72.2% versus 76.3%, p = 0.579), mechanism of injury (p = 0.143), median composite injury scores (22 versus 20, p = 0.082), median ventilator-free days (28 versus 27, p = 0.068), median ICU-free days (27.5 versus 27, p = 0.767), median hospital days (3.5 versus 4, p = 0.876) or survival to discharge (66.7% versus 70.7%, p = 0.607). CONCLUSIONS: Within this data set, we were unable to detect any differences in mortality among pediatric head trauma subjects administered ketamine compared to subjects not receiving this medication in the prehospital setting.

Helmet use and bicycle-related trauma injury outcomes.

Background: It is essential to identify factors that predict helmet use, so as to mitigate the injury and mortality from bicycle accidents.Objective: To examine the relationship between helmet use and the bicycle-related trauma injury outcomes among bicyclists with head/neck injury in the US.Methods: Data from the 2002-2012 National Trauma Data Bank were used, including all trauma bicycle riders involved in bicycle-related accidents whose primary reason for the hospital or Intensive Care Unit stay was head or neck injury. Using multiple logistic regression, the association between helmet use, Injury severity score (ISS), length of stay in hospital (HLOS) and Intensive Care Unit (ICULOS), and mortality was examined.Results: Of the 76,032 bicyclists with head/neck injury, 22% worn helmets. The lowest was among Blacks, Hispanics, and <17 years old. Wearing a helmet significantly reduces injury severity, HLOS, ICULOS, and mortality (i.e total and in-hospital). Males had a severe injury, longer HLOS, ICULOS, and higher mortality than female. Blacks and Hispanics had longer HLOS and ICULOS and higher total mortality than Whites, but had a similar chance for in-hospital mortality.Conclusions: More effort is needed to enhance helmet use among at-risk bicycle riders, which may reduce injury severity, HLOS, ICULOS, and mortality.

Experienced trauma team leaders save the lives of multiple-trauma patients with severe head injuries.

The trauma team leader is a professional who receives and treats trauma patients. We aimed to evaluate whether or not the seniority of a qualified trauma team leader was a prognostic factor for multiple-trauma patients managed by a trauma team. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a Level I Trauma Center in North Taiwan. From January 2009 to December 2013, 284 patients were randomly assigned to one of two trauma team leaders (junior and senior leaders) on duty, irrespective of the seniority of the qualified trauma team leader. All parameters were collected and compared between these two groups. In the subgroup of multiple-trauma patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤ 8, there were significant differences in the injury severity score, revised trauma score, and seniority of the leader between the alive and dead groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the seniority of the trauma team leader was an important mortality risk factor [odds ratio (OR): 14.529, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.683-125.429, p = 0.015] in patients with GCS ≤ 8. However, in patients with GCS > 8, age was the only independent risk factor [OR: 1.055, 95% CI 1.023-1.087, p = 0.001]. The seniority of the qualified trauma leader is important for teamwork, organization, and efficiency, all of which play an important role in improving the survival outcome of patients with GCS ≤ 8.

Isolated condylar fractures diagnosed by post mortem computed tomography.

Due to their anatomical location, occipital condylar fractures (OCFs) are usually not observed during traditional autopsies and are therefore considered a rare injury. The aim of this study was to determine the true frequency of OCFs using post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) in traumatic casualties. We retrospectively analyzed 438 PMCT studies of victims of traffic accidents, falls from height, violence, and low-energy head injuries (324 males and 114 females). OCFs were present in 22.6% of cases (n = 99), mostly in victims of railway accidents (48.5%, n = 17), falls from height (26.6%, n = 29), cyclists (24%, n = 6), and pedestrians hit by cars (22.5%, n = 29). Isolated OCFs were found in 5.5% of cases (n = 24), most often in cyclists (12%, n = 3) and pedestrians (9.3%, n = 12) hit by cars. There were no OCFs in the cases of fatalities caused by violence or accidental low-energy head injury. PMCT scans revealed that OCFs are common in high-energy injury fatalities and can be useful for determining the mechanism of trauma more precisely.

Fatal head and neck injuries in military underbody blast casualties.

INTRODUCTION: Death as a consequence of underbody blast (UBB) can most commonly be attributed to central nervous system injury. UBB may be considered a form of tertiary blast injury but is at a higher rate and somewhat more predictable than injury caused by more classical forms of tertiary injury. Recent studies have focused on the transmission of axial load through the cervical spine with clinically relevant injury caused by resultant compression and flexion. This paper seeks to clarify the pattern of head and neck injuries in fatal UBB incidents using a pragmatic anatomical classification. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated fatal UBB incidents in UK triservice members during recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Head and neck injuries were classified by anatomical site into: skull vault fractures, parenchymal brain injuries, base of skull fractures, brain stem injuries and cervical spine fractures. Incidence of all injuries and of each injury type in isolation was compared. RESULTS: 129 fatalities as a consequence of UBB were identified of whom 94 sustained head or neck injuries. 87 casualties had injuries amenable to analysis. Parenchymal brain injuries (75%) occurred most commonly followed by skull vault (55%) and base of skull fractures (32%). Cervical spine fractures occurred in only 18% of casualties. 62% of casualties had multiple sites of injury with only one casualty sustaining an isolated cervical spine fracture. CONCLUSION: Improvement of UBB survivability requires the understanding of fatal injury mechanisms. Although previous biomechanical studies have concentrated on the effect of axial load transmission and resultant injury to the cervical spine, our work demonstrates that cervical spine injuries are of limited clinical relevance for UBB survivability and that research should focus on severe brain injury secondary to direct head impact.