A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of a two-week course of dexamethasone for adult patients with a symptomatic Chronic Subdural Haematoma (Dex-CSDH trial).

Background: Chronic subdural haematoma is a collection of 'old blood' and its breakdown products in the subdural space and predominantly affects older people. Surgical evacuation remains the mainstay in the management of symptomatic cases. Objective: The Dex-CSDH (DEXamethasone in Chronic SubDural Haematoma) randomised trial investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone in patients with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma. Design: This was a parallel, superiority, multicentre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial. Assigned treatment was administered in a double-blind fashion. Outcome assessors were also blinded to treatment allocation. Setting: Neurosurgical units in the UK. Participants: Eligible participants included adults (aged ≥ 18 years) admitted to a neurosurgical unit with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma confirmed on cranial imaging. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1 : 1 allocation to a 2-week tapering course of dexamethasone or placebo alongside standard care. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the Modified Rankin Scale score at 6 months dichotomised to a favourable (score of 0-3) or an unfavourable (score of 4-6) outcome. Secondary outcomes included the Modified Rankin Scale score at discharge and 3 months; number of chronic subdural haematoma-related surgical interventions undertaken during the index and subsequent admissions; Barthel Index and EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level utility index score reported at discharge, 3 months and 6 months; Glasgow Coma Scale score reported at discharge and 6 months; mortality at 30 days and 6 months; length of stay; discharge destination; and adverse events. An economic evaluation was also undertaken, during which the net monetary benefit was estimated at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. Results: A total of 748 patients were included after randomisation: 375 were assigned to dexamethasone and 373 were assigned to placebo. The mean age of the patients was 74 years and 94% underwent evacuation of their chronic subdural haematoma during the trial period. A total of 680 patients (91%) had 6-month primary outcome data available for analysis: 339 in the placebo arm and 341 in the dexamethasone arm. On a modified intention-to-treat analysis of the full study population, there was an absolute reduction in the proportion of favourable outcomes of 6.4% (95% confidence interval 11.4% to 1.4%; p = 0.01) in the dexamethasone arm compared with the control arm at 6 months. At 3 months, the between-group difference was also in favour of placebo (-8.2%, 95% confidence interval -13.3% to -3.1%). Serious adverse events occurred in 60 out of 375 (16.0%) in the dexamethasone arm and 24 out of 373 (6.4%) in the placebo arm. The net monetary benefit of dexamethasone compared with placebo was estimated to be -£97.19. Conclusions: This trial reports a higher rate of unfavourable outcomes at 6 months, and a higher rate of serious adverse events, in the dexamethasone arm than in the placebo arm. Dexamethasone was also not estimated to be cost-effective. Therefore, dexamethasone cannot be recommended for the treatment of chronic subdural haematoma in this population group. Future work and limitations: A total of 94% of individuals underwent surgery, meaning that this trial does not fully define the role of dexamethasone in conservatively managed haematomas, which is a potential area for future study. Trial registration: This trial is registered as ISRCTN80782810. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 13/15/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 12. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Chronic subdural haematoma is one of the most common conditions managed in adult neurosurgery and mainly affects older people. It is an 'old' collection of blood and blood breakdown products found on the surface of the brain. Surgery to drain the liquid collection is effective, with most patients improving. Given that inflammation is involved in the disease process, a commonly used steroid, dexamethasone, has been used alongside surgery or instead of surgery since the 1970s. However, there is no consensus or high-quality studies confirming the effectiveness of dexamethasone for the treatment of chronic subdural haematoma. This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of adding dexamethasone to the normal treatment for patients with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma. The benefit of adding dexamethasone was measured using a disability score called the Modified Rankin Scale, which can be divided into favourable and unfavourable outcomes. This was assessed at 6 months after entry into the study. In total, 748 adults with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma treated in neurosurgical units in the UK participated. Each participant had an equal chance of receiving either dexamethasone or a placebo because they were assigned randomly. Neither the patients nor the investigators knew who received dexamethasone and who received placebo. Most patients in both groups had an operation to drain the haematoma and experienced significant functional improvement at 6 months compared with their initial admission to hospital. However, patients who received dexamethasone had a lower chance than patients who received placebo of favourable recovery at 6 months. Specifically, 84% of patients who received dexamethasone had recovered well at 6 months, compared with 90% of patients who received placebo. There were more complications in the group that received dexamethasone. This trial demonstrates that adding dexamethasone to standard treatment reduced the chance of a favourable outcome compared with standard treatment alone. Therefore, this study does not support the use of dexamethasone in treating patients with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma.

Systematic review on traumatic intracranial haemorrhage in patients on anti-thrombotic medications; haemorrhage progression, thrombosis, and anti-thrombotic recommencement.

A large number of patients who sustain a traumatic intracranial haemorrhage (tICH) are taking anti-thrombotic (AT) medications at the time of injury. These are stopped acutely, but there is uncertainty about safe timing for recommencement. This review aimed to understand the rate of new/progressive haemorrhage, thrombosis, and death in tICH patients on ATs and the rate and timing of AT recommencement. A systematic review of OVID Medline and EMBASE from 2000 to 2021 including adult patients with tICH on ATs with reported outcomes was performed. A total of 59 observational studies (20,421 patients) were included. Most patients were elderly (mean age 74), suffering falls (78%), and had a mild head injury. The mean new/progressive haemorrhage rate during admission was 26%, mostly diagnosed on routine imaging performed within 72 h of injury, with only 8% clinically significant. Thrombotic events were reported in 17 studies; mean rate of 3% during admission, 4-9% at 30 days and 3-11% at 6 months. AT recommencement rate and timing were only reported in six studies and varied widely, with some studies demonstrating reduced thrombotic events and mortality with earlier AT recommencement. Current data is observational and sparse in relation to haemorrhage, thrombosis, and AT recommencement. There is some suggestion that early recommencement, within 7-14 days, may be beneficial but higher quality studies with more consistent data are urgently required.

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.

Is information provided within chronic subdural haematoma education resources adequate? A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is becoming increasingly prevalent, due to an aging population with increasing risk factors. Due to its variable disease course and high morbidity, patient centred care and shared decision making are essential. However, its occurrence in frail populations, remote from specialist neurosurgeons who currently triage treatment decisions, challenges this. Education is an important component of enabling shared decisions. This should be targeted to avoid information overload. However, it is unknown what this should be. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to conduct analysis of the content of existing CSDH educational materials, to inform the development of patient and relative educational resources to facilitate shared decision making. METHODS: A literature search was conducted (July 2021) of MEDLINE, Embase and grey literature, for all self-specified resources on CSDH education, and narrative reviews. Resources were classified into a hierarchical framework using inductive thematic analysis into 8 core domains: Aetiology, epidemiology and pathophysiology; natural history and risk factors; symptoms; diagnosis; surgical management; nonsurgical management; complications and recurrence; and outcomes. Domain provision was summarised using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests. RESULTS: 56 information resources were identified. 30 (54%) were resources designed for healthcare professionals (HCPs), and 26 (46%) were patient-orientated resources. 45 (80%) were specific to CSDH, 11 (20%) covered head injury, and 10 (18%) referenced both acute and chronic SDH. Of 8 core domains, the most reported were aetiology, epidemiology and pathophysiology (80%, n = 45) and surgical management (77%, n = 43). Patient orientated resources were more likely to provide information on symptoms (73% vs 13%, p<0.001); and diagnosis (62% vs 10%, p<0.001) when compared to HCP resources. Healthcare professional orientated resources were more likely to provide information on nonsurgical management (63% vs 35%, p = 0.032), and complications/recurrence (83% vs 42%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The content of educational resources is varied, even amongst those intended for the same audience. These discrepancies indicate an uncertain educational need, that will need to be resolved in order to better support effective shared decision making. The taxonomy created can inform future qualitative studies.

Protocol for the development of a multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline for the care of patients with chronic subdural haematoma.

Introduction: A common neurosurgical condition, chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) typically affects older people with other underlying health conditions. The care of this potentially vulnerable cohort is often, however, fragmented and suboptimal. In other complex conditions, multidisciplinary guidelines have transformed patient experience and outcomes, but no such framework exists for cSDH. This paper outlines a protocol to develop the first comprehensive multidisciplinary guideline from diagnosis to long-term recovery with cSDH. Methods: The project will be guided by a steering group of key stakeholders and professional organisations and will feature patient and public involvement. Multidisciplinary thematic working groups will examine key aspects of care to formulate appropriate, patient-centered research questions, targeted with evidence review using the GRADE framework. The working groups will then formulate draft clinical recommendations to be used in a modified Delphi process to build consensus on guideline contents. Conclusions: We present a protocol for the development of a multidisciplinary guideline to inform the care of patients with a cSDH, developed by cross-disciplinary working groups and arrived at through a consensus-building process, including a modified online Delphi.

A systematic review identifying outcome measures used in evaluating adults sustaining cervical spine fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome measures used in studies investigating cervical spine fractures in adults, with or without associated spinal cord injury, to inform development of a core outcome set. METHODS: Medline, Embase and Scopus were searched for relevant studies until May 28, 2022, without a historic limit on study date. Study characteristics, population characteristics and outcomes reported were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Our literature search identified 536 studies that met criteria for inclusion, involving 393,266 patients. Most studies were single center (87.3%), retrospective studies (88.9%) and involved a median of 40 patients (range 6-167,278). Treatments assessed included: surgery (55.2%), conservative (6.2%), halo immobilization (4.9%), or a mixture (33.2%). Median study duration was 84 months (range 3-564 months); the timing of clinical and/or radiological follow-up assessment after injury was reported in 56.7%. There was significant heterogeneity in outcomes used, with 79 different reported outcomes measures. Differences in use were identified between smaller/larger, retro-/prospective and single/multicenter cohorts. Over time, the use of radiological outcomes has declined with greater emphasis on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Studies of conservative management were more likely to detail PROMs and mortality, whereas surgical studies reported Frankel/ASIA grade, radiological fusion, complication rates, duration of hospital stay and re-operation rates more frequently. In studies assessing the elderly population (> 65 years), use of PROMs, mortality, hospital stay and discharge destination were more common, whereas fusion was reported less often. Response rates for outcome assessments were lower in studies assessing elderly patients, and studies using PROMs. CONCLUSIONS: We have classified the various outcome measures used for patients with cervical spine fractures based on the COMET outcome taxonomy. We also described the contexts in which different outcomes are more commonly employed to help guide decision-making when designing future research endeavors.

Dexamethasone reduces vascular endothelial growth factor in comparison to placebo in post-operative chronic subdural hematoma samples: A target for future drug therapy?

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a collection of blood and fluid that arises on the brain surface due to a combination of trauma and/or inflammation. The mainstay of treatment is surgical drainage, but CSDH can recur. Dexamethasone has been shown to reduce CSDH recurrence, but its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Understanding the inflammatory mediators driving CSDH formation and recurrence and how dexamethasone alters this can help develop new therapeutic strategies. Methods: A subgroup of adult patients recruited to the Dex-CSDH trial, randomized to dexamethasone or placebo, who had surgery for their CSDH, were included. CSDH fluid and peripheral blood were collected intraoperatively, from post-operative drains and operated recurrences. Samples were analyzed using a 12-plex panel of inflammatory mediators. Clinical patient data were also reviewed. Results: A total of 52 patients, with a mean age of 76 years, were included. Five recurrent CSDHs occurred. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) had the highest concentration across all CSDHs, and only matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 had lower concentrations in CSDH compared to plasma but was increased in recurrent CSDHs. The interleukin (IL)-10 concentration was significantly lower in primary CSDHs that recurred. Most inflammatory mediators increased post-operatively, and dexamethasone significantly reduced the post-operative peak in VEGF on day 2, compared to placebo. Conclusion: It is evident that VEGF plays a critical role in the inflammatory response in CSDH. The post-operative reduction with dexamethasone could signal the mechanism by which it reduces recurrence. Novel therapies with a better side-effect profile than dexamethasone should be targeted at VEGF or potential alternatives such as IL-10 supplementation.

Duration of External Neck Stabilisation (DENS) following odontoid fracture in older or frail adults: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of collar versus no collar.

INTRODUCTION: Fractures of the odontoid process frequently result from low impact falls in frail or older adults. These are increasing in incidence and importance as the population ages. In the UK, odontoid fractures in older adults are usually managed in hard collars to immobilise the fracture and promote bony healing. However, bony healing does not always occur in older adults, and bony healing is not associated with quality of life, functional, or pain outcomes. Further, hard collars can cause complications such as skin pressure ulcers, swallowing difficulties and difficulties with personal care. We hypothesise that management with no immobilisation may be superior to management in a hard collar for older or frail adults with odontoid fractures. METHODS AND ANALYSES: This is the protocol for the Duration of External Neck Stabilisation (DENS) trial-a non-blinded randomised controlled trial comparing management in a hard collar with management without a collar for older (≥65 years) or frail (Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5) adults with a new odontoid fracture. 887 neurologically intact participants with any odontoid process fracture type will be randomised to continuing with a hard collar (standard care) or removal of the collar (intervention). The primary outcome is quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include pain scores, neck disability index, health and social care use and costs, and mortality. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Informed consent for participation will be sought from those able to provide it. We will also include those who lack capacity to ensure representativeness of frail and acutely unwell older adults. Results will be disseminated via scientific publication, lay summary, and visual abstract. The DENS trial received a favourable ethical opinion from the Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (21/SS/0036) and the Leeds West Research Ethics Committee (21/YH/0141). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04895644.

Delivering Large-Scale Neurosurgical Studies in the UK: The Impact of Trainees.

The UK neurosurgical community has a track record of delivering high-quality, practice-changing clinical research studies, facilitated by a robust clinical research infrastructure and close collaborations between neurosurgical centers. More recently, these large-scale studies have been conceived, developed, and delivered by neurosurgical trainees, working under the umbrella of the British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative (BNTRC). In this paper, we outline the current landscape of large-scale neurosurgical studies in the UK, focusing on the role of trainees in facilitating this research. Importantly, we focus on our experience of trainee-led studies, including the development of the network, current challenges, and future directions. We believe that a similar model can be applied in different settings and countries, which will drive up the quality of neurosurgical research, ultimately benefiting future neurosurgical patients.

Integrated care pathways in neurosurgery: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are a pre-defined framework of evidence based, multidisciplinary practice for specific patients. They have the potential to enhance continuity of care, patient safety, patient satisfaction, efficiency gains, teamwork and staff education. In order to inform the development of neurosurgical ICPs in the future, we performed a systematic review to aggregate examples of neurosurgical ICP, to consider their impact and design features that may be associated with their success. METHODS: Electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for relevant literature published from date of inception to July 2020. Primary studies reporting details of neurosurgical ICPs, across all pathologies and age groups were eligible for inclusion. Patient outcomes in each case were also recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included in our final dataset, from the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, China, Korea, France, Netherlands and Switzerland, and a number of sub-specialties. 3 for cerebrospinal fluid diversion, 1 functional, 2 neurovascular, 1 neuro-oncology, 2 paediatric, 2 skull base, 10 spine, 1 for trauma, 2 miscellaneous (other craniotomies). All were single centre studies with no regional or national examples. Thirteen were cohort studies while 11 were case series which lacked a control group. Effectiveness was typically evaluated using hospital or professional performance metrics, such as length of stay (n = 11, 45.8%) or adverse events (n = 17, 70.8%) including readmission, surgical complications and mortality. Patient reported outcomes, including satisfaction, were evaluated infrequently (n = 3, 12.5%). All studies reported a positive impact. No study reported how the design of the ICP was informed by published literature or other methods. CONCLUSIONS: ICPs have been successfully developed across numerous neurosurgical sub-specialities. However, there is often a lack of clarity over their design and weaknesses in their evaluation, including an underrepresentation of the patient's perspective.

Study Protocol on Defining Core Outcomes and Data Elements in Chronic Subdural Haematoma.

BACKGROUND: Core Outcome Sets (COSs) are necessary to standardize reporting in research studies. This is urgently required in the field of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH), one of the most common disease entities managed in neurosurgery and the topic of several recent trials. To complement the development of a COS, a standardized definition and baseline Data Elements (DEs) to be collected in CSDH patients, would further improve study quality and comparability in this heterogeneous population. OBJECTIVE: To, first, define a standardized COS for reporting in all future CSDH studies; and, second, to identify a unified CSDH Definition and set of DEs for reporting in future CSDH studies. METHODS: The overall study design includes a Delphi survey process among 150 respondents from 2 main stakeholder groups: healthcare professionals or researchers (HCPRs) and Patients or carers. HCPR, patients and carers will all be invited to complete the survey on the COS, only the HCPR survey will include questions on definition and DE. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: It is expected that the COS, definition, and DE will be developed through this Delphi survey and that these can be applied in future CSDH studies. This is necessary to help align future research studies on CSDH and to understand the effects of different treatments on patient function and recovery. DISCUSSION: This Delphi survey should result in consensus on a COS and a standardized CSDH Definition and DEs to be used in future CSDH studies.

First Report of a Multicenter Prospective Registry of Cranioplasty in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

BACKGROUND: There are many questions that remain unanswered regarding outcomes following cranioplasty including the timing of cranioplasty following craniectomy as well as the material used. OBJECTIVE: To establish and evaluate 30-d outcomes for all cranial reconstruction procedures in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland through a prospective multicenter cohort study. METHODS: Patients undergoing cranioplasty insertion or revision between June 1, 2019 and November 30, 2019 in 25 neurosurgical units were included. Data collected include demographics, craniectomy date and indication, cranioplasty material and date, and 30-d outcome. RESULTS: In total, 313 operations were included, consisting of 255 new cranioplasty insertions and 58 revisions. Of the new insertions, the most common indications for craniectomy were traumatic brain injury (n = 110, 43%), cerebral infarct (n = 38, 15%), and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (n = 30, 12%). The most common material was titanium (n = 163, 64%). Median time to cranioplasty was 244 d (interquartile range 144-385), with 37 new insertions (15%) within or equal to 90 d. In 30-d follow-up, there were no mortalities. There were 14 readmissions, with 10 patients sustaining a wound infection within 30 d (4%). Of the 58 revisions, the most common reason was due to infection (n = 33, 59%) and skin breakdown (n = 13, 23%). In 41 (71%) cases, the plate was removed during the revision surgery. CONCLUSION: This study is the largest prospective study of cranioplasty representing the first results from the UK Cranial Reconstruction Registry, a first national registry focused on cranioplasty with the potential to address outstanding research questions for this procedure.

The gender gap in European neurosurgical conference presentations.

OBJECTIVE: Within neurosurgery, there are fewer women than men at all levels. The authors aimed to assess whether opportunities and representation within neurosurgery are proportional to the existing gender gap. METHODS: The authors analyzed the program of the 2019 joint European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS)/Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS) conference to assess the proportions of presentations given through abstract submission and invitation by men and women. They compared proportions to the previous joint conference in 2007 and to the gender proportions of board-certified European neurosurgeons. RESULTS: Women delivered 75/577 (13%) presentations at the 2019 EANS/SBNS conference: 54/283 (19%) abstract submissions and 21/294 (7%) invited presentations. Fifteen of 152 (10%) session chairs were women. This increased significantly from 4/121 (3%) presentations delivered by women in 2007. When only presentations given by neurosurgeons (residents or consultants) were analyzed, the proportion of female speakers increased from 1/111 (1%) in 2007 to 60/545 (11%) in 2019. Pediatrics was the subspecialty with the highest proportion of invited female speakers. Across subspecialties, there were no differences in gender proportions for presentations from abstract submissions. Across the top 5 participating European countries, the proportion of female invited speakers (8%) and chairs (8%) was half the proportion of female board-certified neurosurgeons (16%). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of women delivering invited presentations and chairing sessions at a European neurosurgical conference is lower than expected from the available pool of board-certified neurosurgeons. The proportion of women participating is higher through application (abstract submission) than through invitation. The higher proportion of presentations from abstract submission may reflect submission from a pool of trainees with a higher proportion of women. The authors suggest implementation of strategies that increase invited speakers from minority groups and have been shown to be effective in other disciplines, such as improving minority group representation in organizing committees.

Pathogenesis of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Cohort Evidencing De Novo and Transformational Origins.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical pathology, yet conflicting opinions exist concerning the pathophysiological processes involved. Many consider CSDH a product of an aged acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) secondary to trauma. Serial imaging, however, has demonstrated CSDH formation in patients without any initial ASDH. To understand the relevance of acute hemorrhage in a cohort of patients with CSDH, transformation from an ASDH were categorized as CSDH-acute transformed (CSDH-AT) and those without any acute hemorrhage at the outset as CSDH-de-novo (CSDH-DN). A cohort of 41 eligible patients with CSDH were included, with baseline imaging after trauma (or spontaneous ASDH) available for assessment of acute hemorrhage. Volumetric analysis of all subdural collections and measurements of baseline atrophy were performed. In 37% of cases, there was an ASDH present on baseline imaging (CSDH-AT), whereas 63% had no acute hemorrhage at baseline (CSDH-DN). The CSDH-ATs developed more rapidly (mean 16 days from baseline to diagnosis) and were smaller in volume than the CSDH-DNs, which developed at a mean delay of 57 days. In 54% of the CSDH-DNs, a subdural hygroma was present on baseline imaging, and there was a wide range of baseline cerebral atrophy. This study provides radiological evidence for two distinct pathways in the formation of CSDH, with CSDH-DN occurring more commonly and often involving subdural hygroma. Further work is needed to understand whether the pathological origin has implications for patient outcome.

Trial of Dexamethasone for Chronic Subdural Hematoma.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma is a common neurologic disorder that is especially prevalent among older people. The effect of dexamethasone on outcomes in patients with chronic subdural hematoma has not been well studied. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial in the United Kingdom that enrolled adult patients with symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma. The patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive a 2-week tapering course of oral dexamethasone, starting at 8 mg twice daily, or placebo. The decision to surgically evacuate the hematoma was made by the treating clinician. The primary outcome was a score of 0 to 3, representing a favorable outcome, on the modified Rankin scale at 6 months after randomization; scores range from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (death). RESULTS: From August 2015 through November 2019, a total of 748 patients were included in the trial after randomization - 375 were assigned to the dexamethasone group and 373 to the placebo group. The mean age of the patients was 74 years, and 94% underwent surgery to evacuate their hematomas during the index admission; 60% in both groups had a score of 1 to 3 on the modified Rankin scale at admission. In a modified intention-to-treat analysis that excluded the patients who withdrew consent for participation in the trial or who were lost to follow-up, leaving a total of 680 patients, a favorable outcome was reported in 286 of 341 patients (83.9%) in the dexamethasone group and in 306 of 339 patients (90.3%) in the placebo group (difference, -6.4 percentage points [95% confidence interval, -11.4 to -1.4] in favor of the placebo group; P = 0.01). Among the patients with available data, repeat surgery for recurrence of the hematoma was performed in 6 of 349 patients (1.7%) in the dexamethasone group and in 25 of 350 patients (7.1%) in the placebo group. More adverse events occurred in the dexamethasone group than in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma, most of whom had undergone surgery to remove their hematomas during the index admission, treatment with dexamethasone resulted in fewer favorable outcomes and more adverse events than placebo at 6 months, but fewer repeat operations were performed in the dexamethasone group. (Funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme; Dex-CSDH ISRCTN number, ISRCTN80782810.).

The changing face of neurosurgery for the older person.

Increased life expectancy and illness prevention and treatment have led to a growing population of older patients. These changes in patient population are apparent in neurosurgery; however, relatively little is reported about specific outcomes and prognostication in this group. This review summarises the challenges and management changes occurring in the treatment of three common neurosurgical pathologies; aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, head injury, and haemorrhagic stroke. A move towards less invasive neurosurgical techniques has implications on the risk-benefit profile of interventions. This creates the opportunity to intervene in older patients with greater co-morbidity, as long as improved outcomes can be evidenced. A critical part of assessing appropriateness for surgical intervention in older patients may be to change from a mindset of age to one of frailty and growing interest in scales assessing this may aid treatment decisions in the future.

Statistical analysis plan for the Dex-CSDH trial: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a 2-week course of dexamethasone for adult patients with a symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is increasing. Although surgery remains the mainstay of management for symptomatic patients, uncertainty remains regarding the role of steroids. Hence, the Dex-CSDH trial was launched in the UK in 2015 aiming to determine whether, compared to placebo, dexamethasone can improve the 6-month functional outcome of patients with symptomatic CSDH by reducing the rate of surgical intervention and recurrence rate. METHODS AND DESIGN: Dex-CSDH is a multi-centre, pragmatic, parallel group, double-blind, randomised trial assessing the clinical utility of a 2-week course of dexamethasone following a CSDH. Seven hundred fifty patients were randomised to either dexamethasone or placebo. The primary outcome is the modified Rankin Scale at 6 months which is dichotomised to favourable (a score of 0-3) versus unfavourable (a score of 4-6). CONCLUSIONS: This paper and the accompanying additional material describe the statistical analysis plan for the trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN80782810. Registered on 7 November 2014. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN80782810. EudraCT, 2014-004948-35. Registered on 20 March 2015.

Evaluation of nationwide referral pathways, investigation and treatment of suspected cauda equina syndrome in the United Kingdom.

Purpose: Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a spinal emergency with clinical symptoms and signs that have low diagnostic accuracy. National guidelines in the United Kingdom (UK) state that all patients should undergo an MRI prior to referral to specialist spinal units and surgery should be performed at the earliest opportunity. We aimed to evaluate the current practice of investigating and treating suspected CES in the UK. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, multicentre observational study of the investigation and management of patients with suspected CES was conducted across the UK, including all patients referred to a spinal unit over 6 months between 1st October 2016 and 31st March 2017. Results: A total of 28 UK spinal units submitted data on 4441 referrals. Over half of referrals were made without any previous imaging (n = 2572, 57.9%). Of all referrals, 695 underwent surgical decompression (15.6%). The majority of referrals were made out-of-hours (n = 2229/3517, 63.4%). Patient location and pre-referral imaging were not associated with time intervals from symptom onset or presentation to decompression. Patients investigated outside of the spinal unit experienced longer time intervals from referral to undergoing the MRI scan. Conclusions: This is the largest known study of the investigation and management of suspected CES. We found that the majority of referrals were made without adequate investigations. Most patients were referred out-of-hours and many were transferred for an MRI without subsequently requiring surgery. Adherence to guidelines would reduce the number of referrals to spinal services by 72% and reduce the number of patient transfers by 79%.