A Prospective Study on the Assessment of Traumatic Brain Injury Using CT Imaging

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant issue in the world and one of the most common causes of death and disability especially in the developing world. Quick and precise evaluation with the help of computed tomography (CT) images is necessary to make the diagnosis early, identify the intracranial lesions, and lead to the timely management.

Aim: To assess the patterns, severity and clinical profile of traumatic brain injury prospectively by using CT imaging.

Methodology: A one-year prospective observational study was carried out at the Department of Radio-Diagnosis along with Emergency ICARE Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy Hospital, Haldia, West Bengal, India. One hundred and eighty patients with head injury who were referred to CT scan were incorporated. A structured proforma was used to gather data on demographic variables, mode of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and CT imaging results and was analyzed with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.

Findings: most of the patients were aged between 21-40 (38.9%), and mostly, males (66.7). The most frequent cause of injury was road traffic accidents (52.2%), then falls (27.8%). The most common findings were cerebral contusions (35%), skull fractures (30%), sub dural hematoma (22.2) and epidural hematoma (15.6). The most prevalent category of severity was mild traumatic brain injury (48.9), with moderate (28.9) and severe (22.2) cases making a considerable portion. There was a good relationship between CT outcomes and clinical severity.

Conclusion: CT imaging is an important tool in the initial evaluation and management of traumatic brain injury as it allows the precise identification of the type and extent of intracranial lesions. Clinical assessment combined with radiological results are crucial to making decisions effectively and achieving better patient outcomes.

Keywords: Traumatic brain injury, CT imaging, Head injury, Glasgow Coma Scale, Intracranial hemorrhage, Neuroimaging.