Outcomes and Relevant Factors Associated with Cardiac Dysfunction in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Purpose: Cardiac dysfunction has been rarely reported in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study aimed to compare clinical outcomes in patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) with normal cardiac function versus cardiac dysfunction after TBI. Moreover, the association of risk factors and hospital mortality ICU or hospital length of stay was investigated. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from December 2011 to April 2018 on TBI patients admitted without pre-existing cardiac diseases. Patients with TBI were grouped into secondary cardiac dysfunction (n = 112) and normal cardiac function (n = 160) groups according to the presence of abnormal echocardiography after ICU admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: Elevated BNP and troponin levels were found in the group with cardiac dysfunction. Patients with cardiac dysfunction had significantly higher hospital mortality (16.96% vs. 8.13%), longer ICU length of stay (16.34 vs. 10.99 d) than those without cardiac events. Cardiac dysfunction was an independent predictor of hospital mortality (p