Outcome of Patients Admitted with Head Injury in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Rawalpindi

Abstract

Objective: To assess the outcome of patients admitted with head injury at an intensive care unit and look for the relationship of various factors with the poor outcome.

Study Design: Cross-sectional Study.

Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan. Six months, from Oct 2018 to Apr 2019.

Methodology: Patients presenting with head injury at our hospital and needed Intensive Care Unit admission were included. Fifty-eight patients with head injury were admitted in Intensive Care Unit during the six months study period. Outcome was broadly classified as survivor or non survivors. Various factors were correlated with presence of poor outcome among the patients.

Results: A total of 58 patients were admitted in the intensive care unit with head injury during the study period. Twenty-nine patients (50%) survived and were shifted to the wards or High Dependency Unit while 29(50%) patients died in the criticalcare-unit. Mean age of patients included in the study was 29.63±3.46 years. Low Glasgow-Coma-Scale (GCS) score at the time of presentation and severe Kampala-Trauma-Score (KTS) class was associated with the presence of poor outcome in our sample population.

Conclusion: Head injury has emerged as a common reason for admission in the critical care setting. Mortality of such patients remained high even in the specialized and supportive setting of intensive care unit. Low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at time of presentation and severe Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) class emerged as strong predictors of poor outcome i.e, death in our target population.