Abstract
Background
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major contributor to death and complications. Previous studies have identified gender disparities among trauma patients. This study aims to examine the association between gender and outcomes in TBI patients.
Study design and methods
Review of our trauma registry: Patients were classified into groups according to their gender. Demographics extracted from the registry included age, injury severity score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), head abbreviated injury score (AIS), and the presence of an epidural hematoma (EDH). The primary outcome was mortality; secondary outcomes included ICU length of stay (ICU-LOS), craniotomy rate, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and readmission rates. Significance was defined as p < 0.05.
Results
Nine hundred and thirty-five patients with TBI were studied: 62.1% (n = 581) were male and 37.9% (n = 354) were female. There were no differences in GCS, ISS, and head AIS. Males were younger [53 (IQR 30–77) vs. 76 (IQR 49.25–84), p < 0.05] and were more likely to have an EDH (9.6% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.007). Males also had a longer median ICU-LOS [4 days (IQR 2–8) vs. 3 days (IQR 0–5), p < 0.05] and were significantly more likely to require a craniotomy (44.6% vs. 19.2%, p < 0.001). In addition, males were more likely to develop VAP (4.1% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.004). Predicted survival (79.2% vs. 72.9%) and actual mortality rates (4.5% vs. 4.5%) were similar in both genders (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
In the context of our study, male patients with TBI were significantly younger, were more likely to sustain an EDH, and were also more likely to require a craniotomy, but mortality rates between both genders were similar. The male gender was also associated with a significantly increased ICU-LOS and VAP.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Taylor CA, Bell JM, Breiding MJ et al (2017) Traumatic brain injury-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths—United States, 2007 and 2013. MMWR Surveill Summ 66:1–16
The Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons (2018) Advanced trauma life support, 10th edn
Cancelliere C, Donovan J, Cassidy JD (2016) Is sex an indicator of prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic analysis of the findings of the World Health Organization collaborating centre task force on mild traumatic brain injury and the international collaboration on mild traumatic brain injury prognosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 97:S5–18
Peters ME, Gardner RC (2018) Traumatic brain injury in older adults: do we need a different approach? Concussion 3:CNC56
George RL, McGwin G Jr, Windham ST et al (2003) Age-related gender differential in outcome after blunt or penetrating trauma. Shock 19:28–32
Berry C, Ley EJ, Tillou A et al (2009) The effect of gender on patients with moderate to severe head injuries. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 67:950–953
Savitsky B, Givon A, Rozenfeld M, Radomislensky I, Peleg K (2016) Traumatic brain injury: it is all about the definition. Brain Inj 30:1194–1200
Brain Trauma Foundation (2016) Guidelines for the management of severe traumatic brain injury, 4th edn. https://braintrauma.org/uploads/03/12/Guidelines_for_Management_of_Severe_TBI_4th_Edition.pdf. Accessed 7 October 2019
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) Surveillance of TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/TBI-Data-Archive-Report_Final_links_508.pdf. Accessed 3 September 2019
Forbes EE, Dahl RE (2010) Pubertal development and behavior: hormonal activation of social and motivational tendencies. Brain Cogn 72:66–72
Kluen LM, Agorastos A, Wiedemann K et al (2017) Cortisol boosts risky decision-making behavior in men but not in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 84:181–189
Liu T, Xie J, Yang F et al (2015) The influence of sex on outcomes in trauma patients: a meta-analysis. Am J Surg 210:911–921
Marcolini EG, Albrecht JS, Sethuraman KN et al (2019) Gender disparities in trauma care: how sex determines treatment, behavior, and outcome. Anesthesiol Clin 37:107–117
Oppelt K, Hähnlein D, Boschert J et al (2018) Influence of demographic factors and clinical status parameters on long-term neurological, psychological and vegetative outcome following traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 32:1500–1509
Davis DP, Douglas DJ, Smith W et al (2006) Traumatic brain injury outcomes in pre-and post-menopausal females versus age-matched males. J Neurotrauma 23:140–148
Weniger M, Angele MK, Chaudry IH (2016) The role and use of estrogens following trauma. Shock 46:4–11
Engler-Chiurazzi EB, Brown CM, Povroznik JM et al (2017) Estrogens as neuroprotectants: estrogenic actions in the context of cognitive aging and brain injury. Prog Neurobiol 157:188–211
Coleman JR, Moore EE, Samuels JM et al (2019) Trauma resuscitation consideration: sex matters. J Am Coll Surg 228:760–768
Berndtson AE, Costantini TW, Smith AM et al (2016) Does sex matter? Effects on venous thromboembolism risk in screened trauma patients. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 81:493–499
Sharpe JP, Magnotti LJ, Weinberg JA et al (2014) Gender disparity in ventilator-associated pneumonia following trauma: identifying risk factors for mortality. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 77:161–165
Napolitano LM, Greco ME, Rodriguez A et al (2001) Gender differences in adverse outcomes after blunt trauma. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 50:274–280
Croce MA, Fabian TC, Malhotra AK et al (2002) Does gender difference influence outcome? J Trauma Acute Care Surg 53:889–894
Einarsen CE, van der Naalt J, Jacobs B et al (2018) Moderate traumatic brain injury: clinical characteristics and a prognostic model of 12-month outcome. World Neurosurg 114:1199–1210
Funding
None
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elkbuli, A., Smith, Z., Shaikh, S. et al. Mild and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury and Gender-Based Critical Care Outcomes. World J Surg 44, 1492–1497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05381-w
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05381-w