Results
Title

Survival and clinical characteristics of patients with disorders of consciousness in a developing country between 2002 and 2018.

Authors

Cornejo-Suil, Viviana; Rivera-Lillo, Gonzalo; Melo-Martínez, Rodrigo; Covarrubias-Escudero, Felipe; Marín-Godoy, Nicolás; Torres-Castro, Rodrigo

Abstract

Objective: Describe the survival, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of subjects with disorders of consciousness in a reference rehabilitation center, in a developing country. Methods: Patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) caused by acquired neurological injuries, admitted between the years 2002–2018 in a neurorehabilitation center. Extracted data covered demographics, clinical details, survival time, and discharge information. Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to reveal, associations with survival. Result: Out of 5064 neurological cases, 159 patients were diagnosed with DoC. The demographic data showed a male dominance (65%), with an average injury age of 42 years. The most common causes were traumatic (41%), anoxic (36%), and vascular (10%), with traffic accidents accounting for 71% of traumatic injuries. The study found that 75% of patients remained in a vegetative state (VS), and 25% in a minimally conscious state (MCS), with an average survival of 2110 days. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in survival days between patients in MCS and VS. Patients with traumatic injuries showed a higher survival rate than those with non-traumatic injuries. Age and etiology were identified as factors associated with a higher risk of death.

Subjects

CHILE; WOUNDS & injuries; PERSISTENT vegetative state; RESEARCH funding; TRAFFIC accidents; LOSS of consciousness; SURVIVAL rate; SEX distribution; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; DISCHARGE planning; AGE distribution; KAPLAN-Meier estimator; NEUROLOGY; DEVELOPING countries; SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors; CONSCIOUSNESS disorders; PROPORTIONAL hazards models; HYPOXEMIA; SYMPTOMS

Publication

Brain Injury, 2025, Vol 39, Issue 2, p118

ISSN

0269-9052

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1080/02699052.2024.2409357