New research indicates that low brain oxygen levels in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients heighten the risk of death and major disability. A recent study reports that brain oxygen levels in 100 TBI patients were monitored. Many of the patients had suffered bleeding within the brain following serious blunt head trauma.

Researchers say that 43% of the patients suffered severe disability, slipped into a vegetative state, or died. According to researchers, the brain oxygenation was a key, independent predictor of poor results among TBI patients. The study suggests that each hour with low oxygen supply increased the risk of poor results by 11%.

Mauro Oddo, MD, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa, reinforces the study’s findings, “Brain hypoxia is associated with poor short-term outcome after severe TBI,” excluding factors like intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure, Oddo says. “The results support a recent guideline revision calling for monitoring brain oxygenation during intensive care for patients with severe head injury,” Oddo adds.

The study was recently published in the journal Neurosurgery.

Source: Neurosurgery