Changing care pathways and between-center practice variations in intensive care for traumatic brain injury across Europe: a CENTER-TBI analysis

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Jilske A. Huijben
  • Eveline J.A. Wiegers
  • Hester F. Lingsma
  • Giuseppe Citerio
  • Andrew I.R. Maas
  • David K. Menon
  • Ari Ercole
  • David Nelson
  • Mathieu van der Jagt
  • Ewout W. Steyerberg
  • Raimund Helbok
  • Fiona Lecky
  • Wilco Peul
  • Tatiana Birg
  • Tommaso Zoerle
  • Marco Carbonara
  • Nino Stocchetti
  • Cecilia Åkerlund
  • Krisztina Amrein
  • Nada Andelic
  • Lasse Andreassen
  • Gérard Audibert
  • Philippe Azouvi
  • Maria Luisa Azzolini
  • Ronald Bartels
  • Ronny Beer
  • Bo Michael Bellander
  • Habib Benali
  • Maurizio Berardino
  • Luigi Beretta
  • Erta Beqiri
  • Morten Blaabjerg
  • Stine Borgen Lund
  • Camilla Brorsson
  • Andras Buki
  • Manuel Cabeleira
  • Alessio Caccioppola
  • Emiliana Calappi
  • Maria Rosa Calvi
  • Peter Cameron
  • Guillermo Carbayo Lozano
  • Ana M. Castaño-León
  • Simona Cavallo
  • Giorgio Chevallard
  • Arturo Chieregato
  • Mark Coburn
  • Jonathan Coles
  • Jamie D. Cooper
  • Martin Fabricius
  • Kondziella, Daniel
  • CENTER-TBI Investigators and Participants

Purpose: To describe ICU stay, selected management aspects, and outcome of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Europe, and to quantify variation across centers. Methods: This is a prospective observational multicenter study conducted across 18 countries in Europe and Israel. Admission characteristics, clinical data, and outcome were described at patient- and center levels. Between-center variation in the total ICU population was quantified with the median odds ratio (MOR), with correction for case-mix and random variation between centers. Results: A total of 2138 patients were admitted to the ICU, with median age of 49 years; 36% of which were mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale; GCS 13–15). Within, 72 h 636 (30%) were discharged and 128 (6%) died. Early deaths and long-stay patients (> 72 h) had more severe injuries based on the GCS and neuroimaging characteristics, compared with short-stay patients. Long-stay patients received more monitoring and were treated at higher intensity, and experienced worse 6-month outcome compared to short-stay patients. Between-center variations were prominent in the proportion of short-stay patients (MOR = 2.3, p < 0.001), use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring (MOR = 2.5, p < 0.001) and aggressive treatments (MOR = 2.9, p < 0.001); and smaller in 6-month outcome (MOR = 1.2, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Half of contemporary TBI patients at the ICU have mild to moderate head injury. Substantial between-center variations exist in ICU stay and treatment policies, and less so in outcome. It remains unclear whether admission of short-stay patients represents appropriate prudence or inappropriate use of clinical resources.

Original languageEnglish
JournalIntensive Care Medicine
Volume46
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)995-1004
ISSN0342-4642
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

    Research areas

  • Intensive care unit, Intracranial pressure, Outcome, Traumatic brain injury

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