A Survey to Determine Health Utility States After a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Influence of a History of TBI on Disability Perceptions.

Background The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) has emerged as one of the most widely used outcome instruments for evaluating ongoing disability and recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The influence of a personal history of TBI on disability perception and quality of life is not well understood. This study aimed to assess changes in health utility states using the GOSE among individuals with severe TBI and their caregivers compared to a general population group.

Pheochromocytoma-Induced Hypertension After Traumatic Brain Injury.

A 23-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) after sustaining a motor vehicle accident and subsequent loss of consciousness. In the ED, the patient was hemodynamically stable and was appropriately discharged with a diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury. The patient presented 10 days post-injury to the outpatient brain injury clinic with complaints of headache, anxiety, and dizziness, with an elevated blood pressure of 160/100 mmHg.

Actigraphic and nursing sleep log measures in moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: Identifying discrepancies in total sleep time.

Background: Sleep disturbances are common in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In an inpatient rehabilitation setting, clinicians often use information from sleep logs filled out by trained nurses to identify and treat sleep disturbances. However, there are limited data related to accuracy of sleep logs, and patient-reported sleep diaries are poor predictors of total sleep time, which raises concern about the accuracy of sleep logs filled out by a third party.

Effects of an acute care brain injury medicine continuity consultation service on health care utilization and rehabilitation outcomes.

Introduction: Although general physiatry acute-care consultation services are commonplace and improve length of stay (LOS), the benefits of a subspecialty physiatric continuity consultation service targeting patients with severe brain injury have not been reported.

Objectives: Our primary objective was to characterize patient care recommendations from a Brain Injury Medicine (BIM) Continuity Consult Service, and to investigate the effects on acute-care LOS relative to brain injury patients receiving General Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Consult Services. Our secondary objectives were to examine inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) health care utilization metrics and costs between groups and evaluate clinical improvements during IPR and discharge disposition.

Temporal Acute Serum Estradiol and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Associations and Risk of Death after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) activates a robust systemic response that involves inflammatory and other factors, including estradiol (E2), associated with increased deaths. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) is a significant mediator of systemic shock, and it is an extra-gonadal transcription factor for E2 production. The study objectives were to test the hypotheses: (1) a positive feedback relationship exists between acute serum TNFα and E2; and (2) acute concentrations of E2 and TNFα are prognostic indicators of death after severe TBI.

Heterotopic pancreatic tissue obstructing the gallbladder neck: a case report.

Context: Heterotopic pancreatic tissue is defined as pancreatic tissue outside the boundaries of the pancreas that has neither anatomic nor vascular continuity with the pancreas. Heterotopic pancreatic tissue in the gallbladder is uncommon and has rarely been reported to cause symptoms. We report a case of heterotopic pancreatic tissue obstructing the gallbladder neck resulting in cholecystitis.

Duplex vermiform appendix: case report of a ruptured second appendix.

Although the finding of appendiceal duplication is uncommon, its misdiagnosis and mismanagement may yield poor clinical outcomes and serious medicolegal consequences. Laparoscopic surgical exploration was performed on a 17-year-old male patient with right lower quadrant pain and a history of a previous appendectomy. Inspection of the cecum revealed a second appendix, which was retrocecal, ruptured, and gangrenous.