The incidence and characteristics of clinically relevant blunt cerebrovascular injury at an adult level 1 trauma centre: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Introduction Blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) are uncommon but associated with ischemic stroke and disability, particularly in younger adults. There is a paucity of literature on the incidence and risk factors for BCVI. The aim of this study was to report the incidence and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with BCVI at an adult level 1 trauma centre. Methods This was a registry-based cohort study. The accessible sample was all patients in the Alfred Hospital Trauma Registry (AHTR) who presented from January 2014 to June 2021 and were recorded to have BCVI. The diagnosis of BCVI was confirmed by independent, blinded neuroradiologists prior to study inclusion. Demographics, injury mechanism and associated injuries of patients were extracted from the AHTR and patient medical records. Results There were 20,954 blunt trauma patients in the AHTR during the study period, of which 300 patients were confirmed to have 428 BCVIs. The incidence of BCVI was 1.4% (95%CI: 1.3–1.6). The mortality rate was 14% with a median survival time of 86 h from the time of injury. More men (65%) were diagnosed with BCVI than women and motor vehicle crashes (n  =  180; 60%) were the most common mechanism of injury. Younger age, high transfer mechanisms, high injury severity, brain and chest trauma were associated with carotid artery injuries, while vertebral artery injuries were associated with older age, higher presenting GCS and cervical spinal injuries. Conclusion The incidence of BCVI was low. The risk profile for patients with CAIs and VAIs were different. Consistent with the modified Denver criteria, high energy transfer mechanisms and cervical spinal injuries were identified to be high-risk features, but they impacted carotid and vertebral arteries differently. Any trauma involving these mechanisms should trigger investigation for the detection of BCVIs.