INTRODUCTION The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is widely applied in the emergency setting; it is used to guide trauma triage and for the application of essential interventions such as endotracheal intubation. However, inter-rater reliability of GCS scoring has been shown to be low for inexperienced users, especially for the motor component. Concerns regarding the accuracy and validity of GCS scoring...

Electrical brain responses to words semantically related versus unrelated to their context were recorded in a coma patient on days 6 (Glasgow Coma Scale, GCS = 6) and 22 (GCS = 9). Significant differences between related and unrelated words (which were completely matched in their physical features) were consistently observed in both examinations. This is the first evidence for semantic stimulus...

[Purpose] The aim of study was to evaluate the impact of physical therapy on the recovery of motor and mental status in patients who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, according to coma duration in acute and post-acute rehabilitation. [Subjects and Methods] The study population comprised patients with levels of consciousness ranging from 3 to 8 according to Glasgow Coma Scale score. The...

BACKGROUND Management of acute type A aortic dissection (AADA) complicated by coma remains controversial. We analyzed our experience in managing AADA complicated by coma to determine the relationship of duration of preoperative coma to postoperative neurological recovery. METHODS AND RESULTS Between September 2003 and October 2010, 181 patients with AADA were treated, including 27 presenting ...

INTRODUCTION The α2-adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine is an effective postoperative sedative without clear advantages over midazolam or propofol. We hypothesized that routine use of dexmedetomidine allows early extubation in cardiac surgery patients. Secondary outcomes included the use of narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics during the first 48 hours, early postoperative functional status, a...

This study was performed to define the correlation between the level of consciousness based on Glasgow coma scale ( GCS), Glasgow outcome scale( GOS) and leukocyte count. Two hundred and thirty three patients ( female: 48, male: 185) ranged between 1-75 years old were studied. The results showed that there was a negative correlation between increasing leukocyte count and  GCS ( n=233.r= .0.3, p...

Cranial traumas have different particularities in infants, toddlers, preschool child, school child and teenagers. The assessment of these cases must be individualized according to age. It is completely different in children that in adults. Trauma scales, very useful in grading the severity and predicting outcome in traumatic brain injury, used in adults must be adapted in children. Children hav...

BACKGROUND Very severe traumatic brain injury may cause disorders of consciousness in the form of coma, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (also known as vegetative state) or minimally conscious state. Previous studies of outcome for these patients largely pre-date the 2002 definition of minimally conscious state. OBJECTIVES To establish the numbers of patients with disorder of consciousness a...