Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage and Short-Term Outcome in Patients with Minor Head Injury.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the occurrence of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH) and outcome in patients with minor head injury and assess the probable risk factors.

METHODS

Patients with minor head injury who visited our hospital from January 2015 to July 2017 were registered consecutively, and enrolled patients were aged ≥18 years, visited within 24 hours of the injury, and had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15 at outpatient clinic or before the injury.

RESULTS

Of the 1122 enrolled patients, 55 (4.9%) had tICH. An antiplatelet agent was administered in 114 patients, an anticoagulant agent was administered in 49 patients, and none of them were administered in 948 patients. A multivariate analysis of tICH identified it as a risk factor, showing significant difference between antiplatelet medication (P = 0.0312), fall from stairs (P = 0.0057), traffic accident (P = 0.0117), neurologic symptoms (P = 0.0091), and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score before trauma (P < 0.0001). We also analyzed association of enlargement of tICH with different parameters and only anticoagulant medication indicated an increased risk (P = 0.0005). Thirty patients (2.6%) were dependent or died at discharge (mRS 3-6). The mRS score before trauma (P < 0.0001), tICH (P < 0.0001), spinal injury (P < 0.0001), and enlargement of intracranial hemorrhage (P = 0.0008) indicated an increased probability of morbidity (mRS 3-6) in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications were risk factor for tICH and enlargement of tICH in patients with minor head injury, respectively. A pretrauma condition of disability/dependence is an important risk factor for tICH and outcome.