Early-onset Infectious Complications among Penetrating and Severe Closed Traumatic Brain Injury in Active Duty Deployed during OIF and OEF, 2008-2013
Abstract
Medical advances in addition to improved body armor during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have greatly increased the chance of survival especially among deployment related severe closed and penetrating traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, early medical complications resulting from secondary brain injury play an important role in severe TBI patient outcomes and future survival. Early-onset infectious complications that occurred at a Level IV military treatment facility (MTF) were evaluated among active duty service members that sustained a TBI while deployed during OEF and OIF from calendar years 2008 to 2013. As a group, 14.0% of severe closed and penetrating TBI patients had at least one diagnosis indicating an early-onset infectious complication, most commonly pneumonia followed by systemic infection. However, closed TBI patients developed a greater proportion of early-onset infectious complications compared to penetrating TBI patients. Of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), MDR Acinetobacter and MRSA were the predominate pathogens. MDRO infections have the potential to further complicate the care of TBI patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA617734
Entities
People
- Charlotte Neumann
- Uzo Chukwuma
Organizations
- Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center