Intro: Patients with small intracranial hemorrhage at initial presentation (ICHi) have a relatively uneventful hospital course, as compared with larger ICHi. In this study, we tested the null hypothesis that ICHi does not impact the symptom profile of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after discharge.
Methods: In this retrospective study, TBI patients over 18 years of age with a head CT at initial presentation and at least one follow-up visit between 2015 and 2018 were included. Those with vascular risk factors, major psychiatric comorbidities, neurologic disorders, and TBI / CT evidence of ICH within five years were excluded. Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of ICHi. Symptom profiles were characterized during early (0-3 months post-TBI) and late follow up (4-12 months post-TBI). An adapted 15-question Post-Concussion Symptom Scale and a vestibulo-oculomotor (VOM) exam were assessed by a TBI specialist. We compared the age adjusted clinical symptom profiles between those with and without ICHi.
Results: 69 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. 26 (37.8%) had ICHi and 43 (62.32%) did not have ICH. The severity of measured symptoms or VOM findings were not more severe in those with ICHi. Age-adjusted analyses did not show any effect on these outcomes.
Conclusion: ICHi does not impact the symptom profile of patients with TBI in either short or long term.
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