Long-Term Outcome of Children with Severe Head Trauma and Prolonged Coma
- 1 May 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatrics
- Vol. 71 (5) , 756-762
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.71.5.756
Abstract
Children (46) with significant head trauma who remained in coma > 24 h were the subjects of this long-term outcome study. Of the 46, 12 (38%) died. The average length of coma in the 34 survivors was 15.5 days. Follow-up ranged from 9 mo.-4 yr (mean 21 mo.). Of the survivors, 29% were normal at follow-up. An additional 53% had mild cognitive or behavioral problems, but 61% of these had evidence of similar problems prior to the injury. Of the survivors, 9% had motor residua but normal intellect and 9% had severe intellectual and motor problems. Children < 2 yr of age had a worse outcome. Despite severe injury and prolonged coma after head trauma, most children do well. Intensive medical and surgical care increases the rate of survival and does not result in a large number of severely disable survivors.This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
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