Title: Assessment, Management and Decision Making in the Treatment of Polytrauma Patients with Head Injuries
1Assessment, Management and Decision Making in the
Treatment of Polytrauma Patients with Head
Injuries
- Roman A. Hayda, MD
- Created March 2004 Revised July 2006
2Epidemiologic Aspects
- 80,000 survivors of head injury annually
- 125,000 children lt15yo head injured annually
- 40-60 of head injured patients have extremity
injury - 32,000-48,000 head injury survivors with
orthopaedic injuries annually
3Overview
- Initial evaluation
- Prognosis
- Management of Head Injury
- Orthopaedic Issues
- Operative vs. nonoperative treatment
- Timing of surgery
- methods
- Fracture healing in head injury
- Associated injuries
- Complications
4Evaluation
- ATLSABCs
- History
- loss of consciousness
- Physical exam
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- Radiographic studies
- CT Scan
5Evaluation
- Must exclude head injury by evaluation if
- history of loss of consciousness
- significant amnesia
- confusion, combativeness
- Cannot be simply attributed to drug or alcohol
use - neurologic deficits on exam of cranial nerves or
extremities
6Physical Exam
- Exam of head and cranial nerves for lateralizing
signs - dilated or sluggish pupil(s)
- Extremities
- unilateral weakness
- posturing
- decorticate (flexor)
- decerebrate (extensor)
7Glasgow Coma Scale
- Eye opening 1-4
- Motor response 1-6
- Verbal response 1-5
8Glasgow Coma Scale
- Eye opening
- Spontaneous 4
- To speech 3
- To pain 2
- None 1
9Glasgow Coma Scale
- Motor response
- Obeys commands 6
- Purposeful response to pain 5
- Withdrawal to pain 4
- Flexion response to pain 3
- Extension response to pain 2
- None 1
10Glasgow Coma Scale
- Verbal response
- Oriented 5
- Confused 4
- Inappropriate 3
- Incomprehensible 2
- None 1
11Glasgow Coma Scale
- Sum scores (3-15)
- lt9 considered severe
- 9-12 moderate
- 13-15 mild
- ModifiersxT if intubated (Best score possible
11T) xTP if intubated and paralyzed (Best
score possible is 3TP) - Done in the field but best in trauma bay
following initial resuscitation
12Radiographic Studies
Frontal Contusion
- CT scan
- required in ALL cases EXCEPT
- LOC is brief
- AND
- patient can be serially examined
- lesions
- focal--epidural, subdural hematoma,
- contusions
- diffuse--diffuse axonal injury
- Plain films
- useful only to detect skull fracture
but in the trauma setting wastes time
13Treatment
- Initial
- Intubation if unresponsive or combative to give
controlled ventilation - pharmacologic paralysis
- after neurologic exam is completed
- Blood pressure and O2 saturation monitoring
- keep systolic gt 90 mm Hg
- 100 O2 saturation
14ICP Monitoring
- Indications
- severe head injury (GCS lt 9)
- abnormal head CT
- or
- normal CT and at least two of the following
- age over 40
- uni- or bilateral flexor or extensor posturing
- history of systolic BP lt 90 mm Hg
- when unable to follow serial neurologic exams
- i.e. for operative or lengthy diagnostic
procedures
15ICU Management Goals
- O2 saturation 100
- Mean arterial pressure 90-110 mm Hg
- ICP lt 20 mm Hg
- Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPPMAP-ICP) gt70 mm
Hg
16ICU Adjuncts
- HCT 30-33
- PaCO2 352 mm Hg
- CVP 8-14 mm Hg
- avoid dextrose IV
- maintain euthermia or mild hypothermia
17Factors Influencing Prognosis
- Age
- Younger pts have greatest potential for survival
and recovery - 61-75 mortality if over 65
- 90 mortality in elderly with ICP gt20 and coma
for more than 3 days - 100 mortality if GCS lt 5, uni- or bilateral
dilated pupils, and age over 75
- Bottom line survival and recovery not
predictable except in old pts - Treat presuming recovery
18Factors Influencing Prognosis
- Hypotension--50 increase in mortality with
single episode of hypotension - Hypoxia
- Delay in treatment
- prolonged transport
- surgical delay when lateralizing signs present
Potentially controllable!!
19Outcome
- Glasgow Outcome Score
- 1-dead
- 2-vegetative
- 3-cannot self care
- 4-deficits but able to self care
- 5-return to preinjury level of function
20Outcome Prediction
- Glasgow scale (post resuscitation) 44-66
accuracy in determining ultimate outcome - 39 with an initial GCS of lt 5 made functional
recovery - CT based scoring (Marshall Computed Tomographic
score) only 71 accurate
21Outcome Prediction
- Serum markers (S-100B)
- Accuracy of 83 (Woertgen, J Trauma, 1999)
- Good sensitivity in moderate to severe injury
even with extracranial injury (Savola, J Trauma,
2004) - May be elevated in 29 fx pts without head injury
(Unden, J Trauma, 2005)
Clinical utility not defined
22Prognosis
- Significant disability _at_ 1 yr
- Disability even in mild injury
- Glasgow cohort 742 pts with 71 follow-up
- Rate of combined severe and moderate disability
similar among groups (48, 45 and 48) - Age gt40, previous head injury, comorbidities
increased disability - (Thornhill, BMJ, 2000)
Dead or vegetative Severe disability Moderate disability Good recovery
Mild (GCS 13-15) 8 20 28 45
Mod (GCS 9-12) 16 22 24 38
Severe (GCS lt9) 38 29 19 14
23Prognosis of the SeverelyHead Injured Patient
- Gordon (J Neurosurg Anes 95)
- 1,294 pts with severe injury(GCS lt9) at 10 year
follow-up - 55 good recovery
- 19 significant disability
- 7 vegetative
- 19 mortality
- Sakas (J Neurosurg 95)
- 40 pts with fixed and dilated pupils
- 55 younger than 20 years made independent
functional recovery - 25 mild to moderate functional disability
- 43 mortality
24Orthopaedic Issues in the Head Injured Patient
- Role in resuscitation
- pelvic ring injury
- open injuries
- long bone fractures
- Treatment methods and timing
- Associated injuries
- Complications
25Initial Surgery in the Head Injured is Damage
Control Surgery
26Damage Control Orthopaedics
- Goal
- Limit ongoing hemorrhage, hypotension, and
release of inflammatory factors - Limit stress on injured brain
- Initial surgery
- lt1-2 hrs
- limit surgical blood loss
27Damage Control Orthopaedics
- Methods
- Initial focus on stabilization
- External fixation
- Limited debridement
- Limited or no internal fixation or definitive
care - Delayed definitive fixation (5-7 days)
28Resuscitation Role of Orthopaedics
- Goal limit ongoing hemorrhage and hypotension
- pelvic ring injury--
- external fixation reduced
- mortality from 43 to 7
- (Reimer, J Trauma, 93)
- open injury--limit bleeding
- long bone fracture--controversial
29Long Bone Fracture in the Head Injured Patient
- Early fixation (lt24 hours) well accepted in the
polytrauma patient - In the head injured patient early fixation may be
associated with - hypotension elevated ICP
- blood loss/coagulopathy
- hypoxia
- Advocates of early and delayed treatment
30Early Osteosynthesis
- Hofman (J Trauma 91)
- 58 patients with a GCS lt 7
- lower mortality and higher GOS with operative
treatment within 24 hours - Poole ( J Trauma 92)
- 114 patients with head injury
- delayed fixation did not protect the injured
brain - McKee (J Trauma 97)
- 46 head injured with femur fractures matched
with 99 patients without fracture - no difference in neurologic outcome or mortality
31Early Osteosynthesis
- Bone (J Trauma 94)
- in 22 patients (age lt50) with a GCS 4-5
- 13.6 (early fixation) vs 51.3 (delayed
fixation) mortality rates - Starr (J Orthop Trauma 98)
- 32 pts with head injury
- 14 early, 14 delayed, 4 nonoperative
- delayed fixation associated with 45X greater
pulmonary complications but did not affect
neurologic complications
32Early Osteosynthesis
- Kalb (Surgery 98)
- 123 patients, head AIS gt 2, 84 early, 39 late
fixation - early group had increased fluid requirement but
no other difference in mortality or complication - emphasized the role of appropriate monitoring
- Scalea (J Trauma 99)
- 171 patients, mean GCS 9, 147 early, 24 late
fixation - early fixation no effect on length of stay,
mortality, CNS complications
33Delayed Osteosynthesis
- Reynolds (Annals of Surg 95)
- Mortality 2/105 patients, both early rodding (lt24
hrs) - one due to neurologic and the other pulmonary
deterioration - Jaicks (J Trauma 97)
- 33 patients with head AIS gt 2 19 early fixation
14 late - early group required more fluid in 48 hrs (14 vs
8.7 l) more intraoperative hypotension (16 vs
7) lower discharge GCS (13.5 vs 15)
34Delayed Osteosythesis
- Townsend (J Trauma 98)
- 61 patients with GCS lt 8
- hypotension 8 X more likely if operated lt 2 hrs
and 2 X more likely when operated within 24 hrs - no difference noted in GOS
35Fracture Care
- Ultimate neurologic outcome continues to be
difficult to predict - Presume recovery
- Avoid treatments that may compromise neurologic
outcome - All interventions must strive to reduce
musculoskeletal complications inherent in the
head injured patient - Management decisions made in conjunction with
trauma/neurosurgical team
36Operative Fracture Care
- Surgery is often optimal form of fracture
treatment in the head injured polytrauma patient - Advantages
- Alignment
- Articular congruity
- Early rehabilitation
- Facilitated nursing
- care
Galleazzi, ulna and olecranon fx with
compartment syndrome
37Operative Fracture Care
- Perform early surgery when appropriate
- MUST minimize
- hypotension
- hypoxia
- elevated ICP
- Consider temporary methods
- (external fixation)
- Fixation must be adequate
- Patient may be non compliant
- accelerated healing cannot be relied upon
use appropriate monitors
38Advances in Care of Head Injured
- ICP monitoring
- Evolution of anesthetic agents
- Improvement in neuroanesthetic techniques
- Allow for safer surgery in the head injured
39Nonoperative Fracture Management
- Treatment of choice when
- nonoperative means best treat that particular
fracture - operative risks outweigh potential benefits
- Modalities
- splint
- brace
- cast
- traction
- Caveat
- device must be removed periodically to inspect
underlying skin for decubiti
40Bone Healing in the Head Injured Patient
- Humoral osteogenic factors are released by the
injured brain - Exuberant callus MAY be seen
- Soft tissue ossification is common
- Ultimate union rate of fractures is not
significantly affected
41Complications
- Heterotopic Ossification
- up to 89-100 incidence periarticular injury
with head injury - Contractures
- Malunion
Recurrent elbow dislocation secondary to
extensor posturing and heterotopic ossification
42Heterotopic Ossification
- Associated with ventilator dependency
- Avoid periarticular procedures
- Use approaches/techniques less associated with
H.O. - Prophylaxis
- XRT
- Indocin
- Excision
43Contractures
- Occurs due to spasticity/posturing
- Effects
- Inhibits restoration of function
- Complicates nursing care
- Predisposes to decubitus ulcers
44Contractures
- Treatment
- Prevention
- splinting/positioning
- early physical and occupational therapy
- Established
- serial casting
- manipulation
- surgery
- nerve blocks
45Associated Injuries
- Normal methods of clinical and radiologic
assessment may not apply in the head injured
patient - C spine injury
- Occult fractures and injury
46C Spine Injury
- Incidence increases with increasing severity of
head injury - Demetraiades, J
Trauma, 00 - Evaluation more difficult
- Optimal protocol for evaluation and management
controversial
C spine injury Incidence
GCS
47C Spine Injury
- Minimum requirement
- Cervical collar
- Plain films (3 views)
- CT entire C spine
- Adjuncts
- MRI
- Difficult in vent patient
- May over call injury
- Dynamic flexion extension radiographs in the
obtunded patient - Safety and reliability not established
48Occult Injuries
- Fractures, dislocations and peripheral nerve
injuries may be missed - Up to 11 of orthopaedic injuries may be missed
- Peripheral nerve injuries are particularly common
(as high as 34) - Occult fractures in children with head injury are
also common (37-82)
49Occult Injuries
- Detailed physical exam with radiographs of any
suspect area due to bruising, abrasion,
deformity, loss of motion - Consider EMG for unexplained neurologic deficits
- Bone scan advocated in children with severe head
injury _at_ 72 hrs
50Summary
- Orthopaedic injuries are common in head injured
polytrauma patients - Head injury outcome is difficult to predict
- Management requires multidisciplinary approach
- Operative management is safe and often improves
functional outcome if secondary brain insults are
avoided - Hypotension, hypoxia, increased ICP
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