Between October 1985 and December 1993, 421 patients underwent fetal blood sampling for rapid karyotyping (426 samplings, 5 twin pregnancies). The aim of the study was to evaluate cordocentesis in terms of results, complications and additional information in this specific indication especially in case of abnormal pregnancy sonogram. The fetal loss rate possibly related to fetal blood sampling was 1.9%. Abnormal sonograms represented 91% of rapid karyotype indications. Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 9.5% of abnormal sonograms and in 16.9% of fetal structural anomalies (37 cases). The commonest chromosomal abnormality was trisomy 21 (11 cases). In conclusion, cordocentesis is a safe and reliable method for rapid karyotyping although it is associated with more risks than in other indications (congenital infections). The high rate of chromosomal abnormalities pleaded for ultrasonographic screening in a population usually not investigated by cytogenetic studies.

OBJECTIVE Approximately 10% of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) have intracranial bleeding (complicated mTBI) and 3.5% eventually require neurosurgical intervention, which is mostly available at centers with a higher level of trauma care designation and often requires interhospital transfer. In 2018, the Brain Injury Guidelines (BIG) were updated in the United States to guide emergency department care and patient disposition for complicated mild to moderate TBI. The aim of this study was to validate the sensitivity and specificity of the updated BIG (uBIG) for predicting the need for interhospital transfer in Canadian patients with complicated mTBI. METHODS This study took place at three level I trauma centers. Consecutive medical records of patients with complicated mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score 13–15) who were aged ≥ 16 years and presented between September 2016 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with a penetrating trauma and those who had a documented cerebral tumor or aneurysm were excluded. The primary outcome was a combination of neurosurgical intervention and/or mTBI-related death. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed. RESULTS A total of 477 patients were included, of whom 8.4% received neurosurgical intervention and 3% died as a result of their mTBI. Forty patients (8%) were classified as uBIG-1, 168 (35%) as uBIG-2, and 269 (56%) as uBIG-3. No patients in uBIG-1 underwent neurosurgical intervention or died as a result of their injury. This translates into a sensitivity for predicting the need for a transfer of 100% (95% CI 93.2%–100%) and a specificity of 9.4% (95% CI 6.8%–12.6%). Using the uBIG could potentially reduce the number of transfers by 6% to 25%. CONCLUSIONS The patients in uBIG-1 could be safely managed at their initial center without the need for transfer to a center with a higher level of neurotrauma care. Although the uBIG could decrease the number of transfers, further refinement of the criteria could improve its specificity.

Introduction: The radiological and clinical follow-up of patients with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is often heterogeneous, as there is no official guideline for CT scan control. Furthermore, public sector health expenditure has increased significantly as the number of MRI and CT scan almost doubled in Canada in the last decade. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to describe the current management practices of mTBI patients with intracranial hemorrhage at two level-1 trauma centers. Methods: Design: An historical cohort was created at the CHU de Québec – Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus (Québec City) and Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur (Montréal). Consecutive medical records were reviewed from the end of 2017 backwards until sample saturation using a standardized checklist. Participants: mTBI patients aged ⩾16 with an ICH were included. Measures: The main and secondary outcomes were the presence of a control CT scan and neurosurgical consultation/admission. Analyses: Univariate descriptive analyses were performed. Inter-observer measures were calculated. Results: Two hundred seventy-four patients were included, of which 51.1% (n = 140) came from a transfer. Mean age was 60.8 and 68.9% (n = 188) were men. Repeat CT scan was performed in 73.6% (n = 201) of our patients as 12.5% showed a clinical deterioration. The following factors might have influenced clinician decision to proceed to a repeat scan: anticoagulation (association of 87.1% with scanning; n = 27), antiplatelet (84.1%; 58), GCS of 13 (94.1%; 16), GCS of 14 (75%; 72) and GCS of 15 (70.2%; 111). 93.0% (n = 254) of patients had a neurosurgical consultation and only 6.7% (17) underwent a neurosurgical intervention. Conclusion: The management of mild traumatic brain injury with hemorrhage uses a lot of resources that might be disproportionate with regards to risks. Further research to identify predictive factors of deterioration is needed.

Introduction: The Brain Injury Guidelines (BIG) stratifies complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients into 3 groups to guide hospitalization, neurosurgical consultation and repeat head-CT. BIG-1 patients could be managed safely without neurosurgical consultation or transfer. Systematic transfer to neurotrauma centers provide few benefits to this subgroup leading to overtriage. Similarly, unnecessary clinical and radiological follow-ups utilize significant health-care resources. Objective: to validate the safety and efficacy of the BIG for complicated mTBIs. Methods: We performed a multicenter historical cohort study in 3 level-1 trauma centers in Quebec. Patients ≥16 years old assessed in the Emergency Department (ED) with complicated mTBI between 2014 and 2017 were included. Patients with penetrating trauma, cerebral aneurysm or tumor were excluded. Clinical, demographic and radiological data, BIG variables, TBI-related death and neurosurgical intervention were collected using a standardized form. A second reviewer assessed all ambiguous files. Descriptive statistics, over- and under-triage were calculated. Results: A total of 342 patients’ records were assessed. Mean age was 63 ± 20,7 and 236 (69 %) were male. Thirty-five patients were classified under BIG-1 (10.2%), 110 under BIG-2 (32.2%) and 197 under BIG-3 (57.6%). Twenty-six patients (7%) required neurosurgical intervention, all were BIG-3. 90% of TBI-related deaths occurred in BIG-3 and none were classified BIG-1. Among the 192 transfers (51%), 14 were classified under BIG-1 (7.3%) and should not have been transferred according to the guidelines and 50 under BIG-2 (26%). In addition, 40% of BIG-1 received a repeat head computed tomography, although not indicated. Similarly, 7 % of all patients had a neurosurgical consult even if not required. Projected implementation of BIG would lead to 47% of overtriage and 0.3% of undertriage. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the Brain Injury Guidelines could safely identify patients with negative outcomes and could lead to a safe and effective management of complicated mTBI. Applying these guidelines to our cohort could have resulted in significantly fewer repeat head CTs, neurosurgical consults and transfers to level 1 neurotrauma centers.

Introduction: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a common cause of Emergency Department (ED) visits. Over the past years, several authors have debated the relevance of radiological and clinical follow-up of these patients, as the main challenge is to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration. Objectives: To determine whether demographic, clinical or radiological variables can predict patient deterioration. Methods: Design: An historical cohort was constituted in two level-1 trauma centers (Chu de Quebec - Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus (Québec City) and Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur (Montréal)). Participants: Medical records of mTBI patients aged ⩾16 with an ICH were reviewed using a standardized data collection tool. Consecutive medical records were reviewed from the end of 2017 backwards until sample saturation. Measures: Deterioration was defined as either death, deterioration of the control CT scan according to the radiologist, clinical deterioration or neurosurgical intervention. Analyses: Logistic regression analyses were performed to ascertain predictors of deterioration. Interobserver agreement was calculated. Results: A total of 274 patients were included in our analyses. Mean age was 60.8 and 68.9% (n = 188) were men. Four variables were found to be associated with all outcomes: radiological deterioration, clinical deterioration, death, and neurosurgical intervention. Diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% CI [0.97-6.94]), confusion as an initial symptom (OR = 2.8, 95% CI [1.42-5.61]), anticoagulation (OR = 2.8, 95% CI [1.01-7.84]) and significant subdural hemorrhage (≥4 mm) (OR = 3.4, 95% CI [1.42-5.61]) seen on the first computed tomography scan were strongly associated with these outcomes. Age had a neutral effect (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [0.99-1.03]) while high initial Glasgow Coma score seemed to have a protective effect (OR = 0.4, 95% CI [0.24-0.69]). Radiological deterioration was not systematically associated with clinical deterioration. As for the 46 patients with a deterioration of CT scan, only 30.4% vs. 69.5% without deterioration (p = 0.0035) showed a clinical deterioration. Conclusion: Diabetes, anticoagulation, significant subdural hemorrhage and confusion as an initial symptom seem to be predictors of deterioration following a mild traumatic brain injury with positive CT scan.