POSTTRAUMATIC VEGETATIVE STATES - PROGNOS TIC FACTORS IN 522 PATIENTS

Long-term prognosis of post-traumatic vegetative state (VS) remains po orly defined. Three kinds of data have been collected for 522 patients in VS 1 month after head injury : pre-traumatic data; early data, col lected during the first two weeks after trauma; late data, collected o ne month or more after trauma. Statistical relationships have been sea rched for, between these data and outcome one year after trauma, accor ding to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Some late data appear as essential prognostic factors of VS threat blink; complications; ventricular dila tation; motor score (Glasgow Coma Score); spontaneous eye movements. P retraumatic data then take place : age; previous deficiencies. Other d ata (especially early data) seem to have a weaker influence or outcome .