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Accuracy of Early Neuroprognostication in Pediatric Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Pediatr Neurol 2024 Jun;155:36-43

Date

04/07/2024

Pubmed ID

38581727

DOI

10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2024.03.010

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85189491536 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Children with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) are at risk for neurological sequelae impacting function. Clinicians are tasked with neuroprognostication to assist in decision-making. We describe a single-center study assessing clinicians' neuroprognostication accuracy.

METHODS: Clinicians of various specialties caring for children with sTBI were asked to predict their patients' functioning three to six months postinjury. Clinicians were asked to participate in the study if their patient had survived but not returned to baseline between day 4 and 7 postinjury. The outcome tool utilized was the functional status scale (FSS), ranging from 6 to 30 (best-worst function). Predicted scores were compared with actual scores three to six months postinjury. Lin concordance correlation coefficients were used to estimate agreement between predicted and actual FSS. Outcome was dichotomized as good (FSS 6 to 8) or poor (FSS ≥9). Positive and negative predictive values for poor outcome were calculated. Pessimistic prognostic prediction was defined as predicted worse outcome by ≥3 FSS points. Demographic and clinical variables were collected.

RESULTS: A total of 107 surveys were collected on 24 patients. Two children died. Fifteen children had complete (FSS = 6) or near-complete (FSS = 7) recovery. Mean predicted and actual FSS scores were 10.8 (S.D. 5.6) and 8.6 (S.D. 4.1), respectively. Predicted FSS scores were higher than actual scores (P < 0.001). Eight children had collective pessimistic prognostic prediction.

CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians predicted worse functional outcomes, despite high percentage of patients with near-normal function at follow-up clinic. Certain patient and provider factors were noted to impact accuracy and need to be studied in larger cohorts.

Author List

Sampat V, Whitinger J 4th, Flynn-O'Brien K, Kim I, Balakrishnan B, Mehta N, Sawdy R, Patel ND, Nallamothu R, Zhang L, Yan K, Zvara K, Farias-Moeller R

Authors

Binod Balakrishnan MBBS Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Raquel Farias-Moeller MD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Irene Kim MD Assistant Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Niyati Mehta MD Assistant Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Namrata D. Patel MD Assistant Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Ke Yan PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Brain Injuries, Traumatic
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Male
Prognosis