We studied the outcome of 25 patients [12 girls and 13 boys; mean age
13.7 (SD 3.9 years)] with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Gla
sgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 6 h after the injury was (mean) 4.5 (SD 2.
7), and the mean duration of unconsciousness was 15.8 (SD 10.6) days.
Being the mast severely brain-injured children in the health care regi
on, they were all referred to its only regional pediatric rehabilitati
on center during 1986-1990. At discharge, 1 patient was healthy, 1 was
in a vegetative state and 18 had multiple impairments. Motor problems
were present in 22, epilepsy in 7 and speech impairment in 14. It was
not possible to assess cognition in 3 of the children, and 15 of the
remaining 22 fell in the normal range. At follow up 2-6 years after tr
auma, all 23 survivors reported at least one sequela, and 21 had multi
ple sequelae. As many as two-thirds had normal I.Q. and only 3 were no
n-ambulatory, but behavioral and personality disturbances were so disa
bling that none of the patients in this group had been able to readjus
t to a normal life in society after the trauma.