CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW VELOCITY AFTER HEAD-INJURY - TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLEREVALUATION - WORK-IN-PROGRESS

To study blood flow velocity (BFV) changes, serial transcranial Dopple r ultrasound (US) examinations of basal cerebral arteries were perform ed in 47 patients with head injury. Computed tomographic (CT) scans ob tained at admission were analyzed for the presence of intracranial hem orrhages. Glasgow Coma Scale scores were obtained at admission in 46 p atients. The prevalence of posttraumatic increased BFV was 77% (n = 36 ). Two groups of patients were identified according to the time of ons et of increased BFV. They differed with respect to duration and severi ty of changes, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and evidence of intracranial hemorrhagic lesions. Low Glasgow Coma Scale scores were predictive of increased BFV within 72 hours after injury (P < .001). Patients with h emorrhages were significantly more prone to experience increased BFV w ithin 72 hours (P < .05); 34% of patients who did not have hemorrhage, however, developed increased BFV. Increased BFV after head trauma is not uniformly found and cannot be explained by one pathologic mechanis m.