Use and impact of high intensity treatments in patients with traumatic brain injury across Europe: a CENTER-TBI analysis

Table 2 Patient outcomes

	Low TIL (N = 445)	High TIL (N = 313)	p-value
General ICU outcomes (median, IQR)
Length of ICU stay	11 [5.8–19]	17 [10–26]	< 0.001
Duration of ventilation	8 [4.0–15]	14 [8–21]	< 0.001
Time to obey commands	6 [2.0–11]	13 [21]	< 0.001
ICU systemic complications (N, %)
Cardiovascular	52/441 (− 11.8)	34/307 (− 11.1)	0.853
CRBSI	20/441 (− 4.5)	7/307 (− 2.3)	0.154
DVT	5/441 (− 1.1)	7/307 (− 2.3)	0.351
Pulmonary embolus	10/441 (− 2.3)	5/307 (− 1.6)	0.728
Metabolic¹	32/441 (− 7.3)	43/307 (− 14)	0.004
Pressure sores	20/441(− 4.5)	15/307 (− 4.9)	0.962
Respiratory failure	156/441 (− 35.4)	123/307 (− 40.1)	0.219
VAP	107/441 (− 24.3)	85/307 (− 27.7)	0.332
UTI	36/441 (− 8.2)	30/307 (− 9.8)	0.527
Other	38/441 (− 8.6)	32/307 (− 10.4)	0.48
ICU discharge outcomes
ICU mortality (N, %)	59/442 (− 13.3)	62/307 (− 20.2)	0.016
GCS discharge score
Mild > = 13 (N, %)	121/445 (− 27.2)	75/313 (− 24)	0.36
Moderate > = 9—< 13(N, %)	13/445 (− 2.9)	13/313 (− 4.2)	0.475
Severe < 9 (N, %)	311/445 (− 69.9)	225/313 (− 71.9)	0.607
Outcomes after 6 months
GOSE	344 /381 (− 90.3)	262/280 (− 93.6)	0.171
GOSE < 8 (N, %)	202/381 (− 53)	175/280 (− 62.5)	0.019
GOSE < 5 (N, %)	107/381 (− 28.1)	63/280 (− 22.6)
GOSE = 1 (N, %)
Qolibri
Impaired (< 52) (N, %)	32/ 173 (− 18.5)	29/121 (− 24)	0.321
SF-36 MCS
Impaired (< 40) (N, %)	57/173 (− 32.9)	40/117 (− 34.2)	0.926
SF-36 PCS
Impaired (< 40) (N, %)	57/173 (− 32.9)	40/117 (− 34.2)	0.926

This table describes the outcomes of patients stratified by high versus a low therapy intensity level treatment. High TIL was defined as any high intensity treatment (decompressive craniectomy excluding day 1, barbiturates, intensive hypothermia, intensive hyperventilation) during ICU stay. Significant group differences were determined by using the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test (non-normal distributions) for categorical variables and an ANOVA or Kruskal Wallis test (non-normal distributions) for continuous variables
¹Significant variation in proportion of abnormal lab values for high TIL vs. low TIL patients, i.e. creatinine (24.8% vs. 20.1%, p < 0.001), sodium (50.1% vs. 39.7%, p < 0.001), ASAT (49.1% vs 49.2%, p = 0.865), and ALAT (39.3% vs. 37.9%, p = 0.020)
CRBSI: Catheter-related bloodstream infection, DVT: Deep Venous Thrombosis, GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale, GOSE: Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended, ICU: Intensive Care Unit, Qolibri: Quality of life after brain injury total score, SF-36 MCS: Short Form-36v2 Mental Component Summary, SF-36 PCS: Short Form-36v2 Physical Component Summary, TIL: therapy intensity level, VAP: ventilator acquired pneumonia

ISSN: 1364-8535