Prognostic Analysis of Emergency Decompressive Craniectomy for Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury with Bilateral Fixed Dilated Pupils.

OBJECTIVE: For patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) with bilateral fixed dilated pupils (BFDP), the value of aggressively decompressive craniectomy (DC) treatment is still controversial. The objective of this study was to analyze and validate the outcome of DC in patients with sTBI with BFDP.

METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 44 patients with sTBI with BFDP who underwent DC treatment from July 2011 to June 2018. Outcomes used as indicators were mortality and favorable outcome. The analysis was based on the Glasgow Outcome Scale score recorded at discharge, 6, and 12 months after trauma.

RESULTS: The overall survival was 36.4% (16/44) at discharge and 25.0% (11/44) at 6 and 12 months, and the favorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score = 4-5) at discharge, 6, and 12 months after injury was 9.1% (4/44), 13.6% (6/44), and 20.5% (9/44), respectively. Sex (P = 0.046), preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (P = 0.031), injury-surgery intervals (P = 0.022), and tracheotomy (P = 0.017) were independent associations to 6 and 12 months follow-up survival, whereas only preoperative GCS score (odds ratio, 6.088; confidence interval, 1.172-31.612; P = 0.032) and injury-surgery intervals (odds ratio, 0.241; confidence interval, 0.065-0.893; P = 0.033) were independent associations with 12 months follow-up favorable outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: BFDP indicates a grave prognostic sign after sTBI, but the higher preoperative GCS score and shorter injury-surgery intervals in patients who underwent DC treatment might independently predict favorable outcome for patients with sTBI with BFDP, and patients might benefit more than expected if the DC treatment were applied more aggressively and positively.