Early intervention vital following traumatic brain injury

The study, which evaluated risk factors associated morbidity and mortality following TBI found that patients who suffer seizures after moderate to severe TBI have an increased risk of serious complications.

Lead researcher Joshua Laing said that while those who suffer a seizure following TBI have a higher risk of death, they’re also more susceptible to further complications such as epilepsy years after the injury occurs.

"The study highlights the importance of early post-traumatic seizures on overall morbidity and mortality, additional to that of traumatic brain injury," Dr Laing said.

“While this was long suspected, this study provides significant evidence to support these theories and for possible revisions in how we manage people following TBI.”

The study followed 15,152 patients in the Victorian State Trauma Registry – many based at The Alfred - with moderate to severe TBI from January 2005 to December 2019.

The study found that early post-traumatic seizures were associated with higher risks of ICU admission, use of ventilation, length of hospital stay, and discharge to inpatient rehabilitation instead of home.

“Not all patients with a TBI have seizures, but what this clearly shows is that those who do have them are far more likely to have other complications,” Dr Laing said.

“All patients who get admitted with a TBIU get an anti-seizure drug, however all the patients in this study had that medication and still had seizures on top of that.

“Often neurologists don’t get in involved in a patient’s treatment until down line, so maybe this means that there’s a need for us to get involved a little earlier."