Routing of Patients with Acquired Brain Injury as a Tool for Collecting Epidemiological Data about Disorders of Consciousness

Abstract

Introduction. Disorders of consciousness (DOC) form one of the most underexplored sections of neurosciences. An epidemiology of DOC may be crucial to evaluate the extent of this problem. There were several attempts to collect such data in different countries allover the world, but all of them seem to be very discrete.objective. Aim of the study was to compile information about patients of Sverdlovsk Region in which acquired brain injury (ABI) resulted in DOC, find out their outcomes and evaluate the prevalence rate of these states in the population of the region.Methods.6507 patients with ABI were monitored by Regional Neurocritical Care Center in Sverdlovsk Regional Hospital №1 during 2019. 492 patients from this group then were assessed by neurorehabilitation physicians of Clinical Institute of Brain (CIB) via telemedicineconsultation; 122 of them were directed to CIB for in-patient stage of treatment, the main intention of which was an advanced diagnostic of the level of consciousness. Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) was confirmed in 29 patients.results. After in-patient stage of treatment changes in the level of consciousness were assessed by follow-up via telemedicine consultation.to the end of January 2020, it made possible to find out that 9 of 29 UWS patients regained the level of consciousness; thus,20 patients remained unresponsive. taking into account that population of Sverdlovsk region numbers 4,3 million, prevalence rate ofnew UWS cases in region equaled 0,46/100 000.Conclusion. Application of telemedicine consultation allows to enquire DOC patients’ outcomes regardless of the patient location.Implementation of telemedicine can be useful for collecting this data and further analysis of revealed trends.