Cerebral Hemodynamic Predictors of Poor 6-Month Glasgow Outcome Score in Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Little is known regarding the cerebral autoregulation in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). We examined the relationship between cerebral hemodynamic predictors, including cerebral autoregulation, and long-term outcome after severe pediatric TBI. After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data (May 2002 to October 2007) for children age <= 16 years with severe TBI (admission Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score < 9) was performed. Cerebral autoregulation was assessed within 72 h after TBI. Cerebral hemodynamic predictors (intracranial pressure [ICP], systolic blood pressure [SBP], and cerebral perfusion pressure [CPP]) through the first 72 h after TBI were abstracted. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the relationship between impaired cerebral autoregulation (autoregulatory index <0.4), intracranial hypertension (ICP >20mmHg), and hypotension (SBP <5(th) percentile and CPP < 40 mm Hg). Six-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score of <4 defined poor outcome. Ten (28%) of the 36 children examined (9.1 +/- 5.3 [0.8-16] years; 74% male) had poor outcome. Univariate factors associated with poor outcome were impaired cerebral autoregulation (p = 0.005), SBP < 5(th) percentile for age and gender ( p = 0.02), and low middle cerebral artery flow velocity (< 2 SD for age and gender; p = 0.04). Independent risk factors for poor 6-month GOS were impaired cerebral autoregulation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-99.4) and hypotension (SBP <5(th) percentile; aOR 8.8; 95% CI 1.1-70.5), respectively. Previous studies of TBI describing poor outcome with hemodynamics did not consider the status of cerebral autoregulation. In this study, both impaired cerebral autoregulation and SBP < 5(th) percentile were independent risk factors for poor 6-month GOS.