Table 1

General and intracranial characteristics of patients and healthy volunteers.

Characteristics
Brain-injured patients
Healthy volunteers
P value


Number of patients
38
36
-
Number of scans
45
36
-
Age (years)
35 ± 14
32 ± 8
0.37
Weight (kg)
86 ± 14
75 ± 10
0.0003
Sex (% male)
80%
75%
0.82
Overall ICU length of stay (days)
17 ± 9
-
-
SAPS II score
21 ± 6
-
-
Injury Severity Score (median [range])
25 (9–50)
-
-
Glasgow Coma Score (median [range])
7 (3–8)
-
-
Intracranial pressure (mmHg; [range])
18.7 ± 5.6 (7–34)
-
-
Optic nerve sheath diameter (mm)
5.72 ± 0.71
5.08 ± 0.52
0.0001
Optic nerve diameter (mm)
2.65 ± 0.28
2.70 ± 0.23
0.26
Head CT scan (Marshall's category; % of patients)



     DI category I
0%
-
-
     DI category II
55%
-
-
     DI category III
3%
-
-
     DI category IV
0%
-
-
     EML
39%
-
-
     NEML
3%
-
-

Unless otherwise stated, values are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. DI, diffuse injury; EML, evacuated mass lesion; ICU, intensive care unit; NEML, nonevacuated mass lesion; SAPS, Simplified Acute Physiology Score.

Geeraerts et al. Critical Care 2008 12:R114   doi:10.1186/cc7006