Characterization of patients with severe cranioencephalic trauma at “Arnaldo Milián Castro” General Teaching Hospital

• Main Authors: Javier Alejandro Bermúdez-Ruiz, Mabel Merlán-Martínez, Adrián Alejandro Vitón-Castillo, José Vladimir Brunet-Liste, Liz Mabel Lara-Merlán
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río 2020-01-01
• Series: Universidad Médica Pinareña
• Subjects: traumatismos craneocerebrales; lesiones traumáticas del encéfalo; traumatismos del sistema nervioso; lesiones encefálicas; unidades de cuidados intensivos
• Online Access: http://revgaleno.sld.cu/index.php/ump/article/view/376

Introduction: traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death in young people, ages under 45, and brain injuries have a high incidence of death in more than half of those suffering from these injuries. Objective: to characterize patients with severe cranioencephalic trauma in the Intensive Care Unit at Arnaldo Milián Castro General Teaching Hospital during the year 2018. Methods: an observational, descriptive and retrospective study was conducted in 38 patients with the diagnosis of severe head trauma from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2019. Medical records were reviewed; variables such as age, cause of trauma, type of injury, complications and hospital staying were collected.  Results: male patients predominated (92.11%), ages between 36 and 64 years (50%); 50% of traumas were due to traffic accidents. Subdural hematoma represented 52.63 % of lesions and pneumonia the most common complication (65.79 %). Patients admitted for more than 9 days predominated (44.74%); 73.68 % of patients were admitted alive; 65.79 % of patients underwent surgery. Severe cerebral edema was found among the causes of death (70%). Conclusions: male patients after the third decade of life are prone to severe cranioencephalic trauma. Intervention on primary lesions avoids complications, where ventilation and prolonged hospital staying can trigger sepsis and act as factors affecting survival.