Efficacy and safety of fibrinogen administration in acute post-traumatic hypofibrinogenemia in isolated severe traumatic brain injury: A randomized clinical trial.

AIM: This study was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes after fibrinogen administration in hypofibrinogenemia following severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND

Post traumatic coagulopathy (PTC) is a common but devastating medical condition in patients with severe head injury. Hypofibrinogenemia is considered as an indicator for poor clinical outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

In this randomized clinical trial (RCT), primarily 137 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow coma scale score: GCS < 9) were enrolled. Thereafter, their plasma fibrinogen level was measured. The patients with primary hypofibrinogenemia (<200 mg/dL) with no concurrent coagulopathy were randomly allocated into fibrinogen-receiving (n = 50) and control (n = 54) groups. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

Seventy-one patients were analyzed in the final step of the study. The mean value for age in fibrinogen and control groups was 25.64 ± 10.71 and 28.91 ± 12.25 years old, respectively. Male - female patients in both groups were equally distributed. In the fibrinogen receiving group, GCS scores were significantly higher after 24, 48, and 72 h compared to the control group (p = 0.000). Hematoma expansion was better controlled in the fibrinogen receiving group (p = 0.000). Notably, the number needed to treat (NNT) for fibrinogen infusion and hematoma expansion control was 2.3. Glasgow outcome scale-extended (GOSE) was significantly better in the fibrinogen group (p = 0.25). Multiple regression tests showed intracerebral hematoma (ICH) and severe brain edema had the most detrimental effect on GOSE outcomes. The need for cranial surgery, hospital stay duration, mechanical ventilator dependency, in hospital and 90-day post discharge mortality rates were similar in both study groups.

CONCLUSION

In severe TBI, hypofibrinogenemia correction (>200 mg/dL) could improve GOSE, GCS score progression within 3 days after primary head injury and hematoma expansion controllability.