Clinical characteristics and functional outcome of surgically treated adult head trauma patients with acute subdural hematoma: Ethiopian tertiary hospitals experience.

BACKGROUND

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is one of the most common and devastating lesions in traumatic brain injury with a mortality rate upto 60 % especially in low-income countries. The present study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and functional outcomes and the associated factors of surgically treated head trauma patients with ASDH.

METHODS

Between January 2018 and January 2021 we identified 140 head trauma patients with ASDH who underwent surgical evacuation in three tertiary hospitals. Epidemiological data were collected; the six-month functional outcome was studied using an extended Glasgow outcome score (EGOS) and associated factors were also studied. Univariate analysis was performed at first, and variables with a P-value of <0.05 were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Male predominance was seen accounting for 87 % and assault was the most common mechanism of injury (35.7 %). Sixty-five (56.5 %) of patients achieved favorable functional recovery (EGOS of 5-8) and 50 (43.5 %) of patients had unfavorable recovery (EGOS of 1-4) after 6 months of follow-up. In multivariate logistic regression models, GCS <5, Pupillary abnormality, hypotension, oxygen saturation <90 at presentation, and hospital-acquired pneumonia were the independent factors associated with unfavorable functional outcomes.

CONCLUSION

In our setup, most of the patients are male from assault injuries. There is still a high rate of unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute subdural hematoma. GCS <5, pupillary abnormality, hypotension and desaturation at presentation, and postoperative hospital-acquired infection are predictors for unfavorable functional outcomes.