Citation

Perrin PB, Niemeier JP, Mougeot JL, Vannoy CH, Hirsch MA, Watts JA, Rossman W, Grafton LM, Guerrier TD, Pershad R, Kingsbury CA, Bartel SW, Whitney MP. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2014; 30(2): 136-142.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond (Dr Perrin); and Carolinas Rehabilitation (Drs Niemeier and Hirsch and Mss Guerrier, Pershad, Kingsbury, Bartel, and Whitney), Cannon Research Center (Drs Mougeot and Vannoy and Ms Rossman), Department of Emergency Medicine (Dr Watts), Brain Injury Unit, Carolinas Rehabilitation (Dr Grafton), and Carolinas Healthcare System (Mr Whitney), Charlotte, North Carolina.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0000000000000026

PMID

24590151

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: To examine the comparative efficacy of 3 common measures of traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity for predicting inpatient outcomes upon hospital discharge. SETTING:: Acute brain injury rehabilitation unit at level 1 trauma center. PARTICIPANTS:: 100 patients with TBI. DESIGN:: Retrospective analysis of injury severity, demographic, and outcome data. MAIN MEASURES:: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, time to follow commands (TTC), duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), and Functional Independence Measure at hospital discharge. RESULTS:: A hierarchal multiple regression revealed that duration of PTA was a significant and powerful unique predictor of Functional Independence Measure scores at discharge (β = -0.46, P = .001), while TTC (β = 0.26, P = .056) and GCS (β = 0.16, P = .143) were not. These effects were present even after controlling for age, gender, educational level, racial/ethnic minority status, cause of injury, history of substance abuse, and neurosurgical intervention. CONCLUSION:: Although clinicians often use GCS scores and TTC when assessing acute TBI severity and during treatment formulation, this study provides evidence that duration of PTA may be a more meaningful predictor of patients' functional levels at discharge.

Language: en