Chart for outcome prediction in severe head injury

J Neurosurg. 1983 Aug;59(2):294-7. doi: 10.3171/jns.1983.59.2.0294.

Abstract

An analysis of clinical and demographic data of 264 patients with severe head injury showed that a combination of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, oculocephalic responses, and age can provide a simple but reliable prediction of outcome in severe head injury. Addition of other clinical data, excluding intracranial pressure and evoked potentials, improved the predictability only negligibly. A simple chart, which is constructed from the application of the logistic regression model, can be used to determine the odds of a good outcome from the combination of the three factors. A method is given by which the GCS score of a patient with a missing verbal response score can be accurately approximated in order to complete the chart. Among other values, the odds of a good outcome provide the clinician with a reliable measure of the relative severity of a patient's injury. The accuracy of the chart in prediction is expected to be 80% or above.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Injuries / diagnosis*
  • Coma / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Physical Examination