Korean Journal of Neurotrauma最新文献

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health and socio-economic problem, resulting in significant disability and mortality. Malnutrition is common in TBI patients and is associated with increased vulnerability to infection, higher morbidity and mortality rates, as well as longer stays in the intensive care unit and hospital. Following TBI, various pathophysiological mechanisms, such as hypermetabolism and hypercatabolism, affect patient outcomes. It is crucial to provide adequate nutrition therapy to prevent secondary brain damage and promote optimal recovery. This review includes a literature review and discusses the challenges encountered in clinical practice regarding nutrition in TBI patients. The focus is on determining energy requirements, timing and methods of nutrition delivery, promoting enteral tolerance, providing enteral nutrition to patients receiving vasopressors, and implementing trophic enteral nutrition. Enhancing our understanding of the current evidence regarding appropriate nutrition practices will contribute to improving overall outcomes for TBI patients.

Kummell's disease (KD) is referred to as delayed posttraumatic vertebral collapse, avascular necrosis of vertebrae, or ischemic vertebral collapse. KD is no longer rare in an aging society. It is mainly caused by minor trauma, and nonunion occurs secondary to avascular necrosis at the vertebral body fracture site, which can lead to vertebral kyphosis or intravertebral instability. Clinical symptoms of KD range from no symptoms to severe paralysis due to nerve injury. KD is considered a complication of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, and conservative treatment, including osteoporosis treatment, is important. Timely interventions such as vertebral augmentation or surgery, with active regular follow-up are necessary before the onset of neurological deficits due to osteonecrotic collapse in patients with suspected KD. In this study, we summarize the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of KD, which is showing increasing prevalence in an aging society. We have presented a literature review and discussed clinical guidelines and therapeutic strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with KD.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become a worldwide public health issue, raising concerns about which tool might be useful to guide initial management at hospital admission, especially to decide whether the patient would benefit from an opportune surgical intervention. Recently, the glucose-to-potassium ratio has more accurate predictive values than other biomarkers and is useful for its simplicity to obtain. To correlate each biomarker with the outcome for every patient with TBI.

Methods: The analysis included patients treated in a single institution between 2020 and 2021, diagnosed with mild TBI that required neurosurgery, moderate or severe TBI. Blood samples were obtained at admission, and the glucose-to-potassium ratio was calculated retrospectively. Then, these values and other variables were compared with the outcome at 6 and 12 months. Extracranial lesions that directly contributed to the outcome, a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 and below, hemodynamic instability, and cardiac arrest were exclusion criteria.

Results: Forty-seven patients who reached the criteria were examined, 35 (74%) had a favorable outcome and 12 (26%) a poor one. The only biomarker significantly related to the outcome was the glucose-to-potassium ratio in both the bivariate and multivariate analysis (p=0.04; odds ratio, 8.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-69.6).

Conclusion: An increase in the glucose-to-potassium ratio was the only biomarker associated with poor outcomes and increased mortality.

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) induced by a bridging vein (BV) rupture is considered a catastrophic head injury, especially in the elderly. Epidemiological studies have shown a much higher incidence rate of BV-induced ASDH in the elderly compared to younger adults, along with elevated morbidity and mortality, and poor outcomes. Brain atrophy can be a risk factor contributing to the increased risk of ASDH in elderly trauma patients. Considering this, prophylactic ligation of the impending breakage in the BV may reduce the risk of rebleeding and treat the ASDH. Here, we report a relevant case.

Hardware migration is an unavoidable complication of intracranial shunt surgeries. Traumatic dislodgement of a valve into the skull occurred in a young boy with a cystoperitoneal shunt following a head injury. Shortly before admission, he fell off his wheelchair and hit his head on the floor. Medical treatment was initiated to manage the patient for traumatic intracranial hemorrhage, and he was subsequently discharged home. However, 2 weeks after discharge, computed tomography (CT) showed a migrating valve and associated meningitis. The CT scan showed that the shunt valve was deep in the temporal cyst. The dislodged shunt valve was left in situ because the parents did not want surgical intervention. The author demonstrates how this complication develops and suggests preventive measures through reviews on the migration of the shunt into the cranium.

Impaired attention is the most common and debilitating cognitive deficit following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Attention is a fundamental function that profoundly influences the performance of other cognitive components such as memory and execution. Intriguingly, attention can be improved through cognitive rehabilitation. This narrative review summarizes the essential elements of rehabilitation for attention problems in acute and post-acute TBI. In the acute phase of mild TBI, investigations into the medical history and daily life performance, neurological examination, screening and management of concomitant sleep-wake disorders or neuropsychiatric disorders, and support and education on the natural course of concussion are covered. Rehabilitation for patients with moderate-to-severe TBI consists of serial assessment for patients with disorders of consciousness and a post-traumatic confusion state. In the post-acute phase after TBI, components of rehabilitation include investigating medical history; neurological, imaging, and electrophysiological tests; evaluation and treatment of factors that may impact attention, including sleep-wake, emotional, and behavioral disorders; evaluation of attention function; and cognitive rehabilitation as a matter of course. We summarized metacognitive strategy, direct attention training, computer-based cognitive interventions, medication, and environmental control as interventions to enhance attention.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of two different techniques for spinal ligamentotaxis. Spine ligamentotaxis reduces the number of retropulsed bone fragments in the fractured vertebrae. Two different ligamentotaxis techniques require clinical evaluation.

Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial. The case group was defined as one pedicular screw insertion into a fractured vertebra, and the control group as a no-pedicular screw in the index vertebra. Spine biomechanical values were defined as primary outcomes and complications as secondary outcomes.

Results: A total of 105 patients were enrolled; 23 were excluded for multiple reasons, and the remaining were randomly allocated into the case (n=40) and control (n=42) groups. The patients were followed up and analyzed (n=56). The postoperative mid-sagittal diameter of the vertebral canal (MSD), kyphotic deformity correction, and restoration of the anterior height of the fractured vertebrae showed equal results in both groups. Postoperative retropulsion percentage and pain were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (p=0.003 and p=0.004, respectively). There were no group preferences for early or long-term postoperative complications.

Conclusions: Regarding clinical and imaging properties, inserting one extra pedicular screw in a fractured vertebra during ligamentotaxis results in better retropulsion reduction and lower postoperative pain.