Risk Factors Analysis for 90-Day Mortality of Adult Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in an Italian Emergency Department

Abstract

Purpose: The most prominent risk factors for mortality after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not been established. This study aimed to establish risk factors related to 90-day mortality after a traumatic event. Methods: A retrospective cohort study on adult patients entering the Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Trieste for mild TBI from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 was conducted. Results: The final population was 1221 patients (median age of 78 years). The 90-day mortality rate was 7% (90 patients). In the Cox regression model (likelihood ratio 110.9; p −16), the variables that significantly correlated to 90-day mortality were age (less than 75 years old is a protective factor, HR 0.29 [95%CI 0.16–0.54]; p p p p p p p Conclusions: In our cohort of patients with mild TBI, 90-day mortality was low but not negligible. The risk factors associated with 90-day mortality included age, history of chronic liver disease, and cognitive impairment, as well as evidence of intracerebral hemorrhage and hospitalization. The mortality of the sub-population of older patients was likely to be linked to cardiovascular comorbidities and neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords

• head trauma
• prediction
• traumatic brain injury
• emergency department
• mortality