Development of a longitudinal study of complications and functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury.

Primary Objective: To create a longitudinal database of patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury.

Research Design: A prospective study design was used to collect data pertaining to demographics, acute and post-acute management, complications, resource utilization and functional outcomes.

Methods And Procedures: Data were collected on 233 patients with a Glasgow Coma Score of 12 or less, admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre within 24 hours of injury and continued through post-hospitalization follow-up.

Bacterial toxins and enteral feeding of premature infants at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis.

Bacterial translocation and enteral feeding are factors implicated in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in the preterm infant. A cohort of 60 preterm low birth-weight (LBW) infants (600-1,600 g at birth) consecutively admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU; N = 183) were prospectively followed to evaluate the role of bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) and enteral feeding in the development of NEC. Stage I NEC was identified in 14/60 (23%) infants.