Pulmonary embolism in severe traumatic brain injury.
INTRODUCTION
Pulmonary emboli (PE) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the trauma patients. The use of chemical prophylaxis to prevent deep venous thrombosis and subsequent PE is still controversial given its risk of increased intracranial hemorrhage expansion.


OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we evaluated the incidence of PE in severe traumatic brain injury.


METHODS
Retrospective review of patients who were admitted to a Neurosurgery unit from 2011 to 2013 with severe TBI who developed PE.


RESULTS
155 patients met the study criteria. The incidence of PE was 2.58%. The cohort was mainly composed of white (71.6%), male (76.77%) with the mean age of 23.03 ± 15.79. There was no statistical difference between the patients who developed PE with prophylaxis and without (p = 0.58). Hospital length of stay was significantly increased by the development of a PE (27.82 ± 21.78 vs. 61.24 ± 25.74 days, p = 0.01).


CONCLUSION
Our data is limited by a low incidence of PE in this cohort, but does show an increased hospital length of stay. The true incidence of PE is unknown, so large-scale population studies are urgently needed and a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis.
['Seifi|Ali|A|', 'Dengler|Bradley|B|', 'Martinez|Paola|P|', 'Godoy|Daniel Agustin|DA|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic D015897:Comorbidity D005260:Female D006801:Humans D015994:Incidence D007902:Length of Stay D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011655:Pulmonary Embolism D012189:Retrospective Studies D013781:Texas D020246:Venous Thrombosis D055815:Young Adult
Pulmonary embolism Traumatic brain injury Prophylaxis Anticoagulation Deep vein thrombosis Venous thromboembolism