Study on the correlation between blood glucose levels and severity/prognosis of traumatic brain injury

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2001.01.006

Abstract：Objective To analyse the relationship between hyperglycemia andseverity/prognosis after brain injury, and to provide evidences for clinical treatment and prognosis.Methods 86 cases were divided into light (16 cases), moderate (24 cases) and severe (46 cases) injury groups based on Glasgow Coma Scale scores (GCS). The blood glucose was examined 48 hours, 1 week, 1 month and 2 months after injury. The results were analyzed according to the location/position of injury and the disability rating scale (DRS).Results The blood glucose level in light injury group was normal. The blood glucose levels in moderate and severe injury groups rised more significantly than those did in light injury group. The hyperglycemia in severe injury group persisted over 2 months. There was positive linear relativity relationship between the DRS and the blood glucose levels 48 hours and 2 months after injury. The higher the blood glucose level was, the more the severity of the disability was and the worse the prognosis was. The blood glucose level was higher in the patients with abroad injury following brainstem dysfunction and/or blood breaking into ventricle, even persisting over a few months. Conclusion Early hyperglycemia is a frequent phenomenon of the stress response to head injury, a significant indicator of its severity, and a reliable predictor of outcome.