Intracranial Pressure Monitoring in Children With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis Using a Nationwide Inpatient Database in Japan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Clinical benefits of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in the management of children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not universally agreed upon. We investigated the association between ICP monitoring and outcomes in children with severe TBI using a nationwide inpatient database. METHODS: This observational study used the Japanese Diagnostic Procedure Combination inpatient database from July 1, 2010, to March 31, 2020. We included patients younger than 18 years, admitted to the intensive care unit or high-dependency unit with severe TBI. Patients who died or were discharged on the day of admission were excluded. One-to-four propensity score matching was performed to compare patients who underwent ICP monitoring on the day of admission with those who did not. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Mixed-effects linear regression analysis compared outcomes and estimated the interaction between ICP monitoring and subgroups in matched cohorts. RESULTS: Of the 2116 eligible children, 252 received ICP monitoring on the day of admission. One-to-4 propensity score matching selected 210 patients who had ICP monitoring on admission day and 840 patients who did not. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in patients who underwent ICP monitoring than those who did not (12.7% vs 17.9%; within-hospital difference, -4.2%; 95% CI, -8.1% to -0.4%). There was no significant difference in the proportion of unfavorable outcomes (Barthel index <60 or death) at discharge, proportion of enteral nutrition at discharge, length of hospital stay, and total hospitalization cost. Subgroup analyses demonstrated a quantitative interaction between ICP monitoring and the Japan Coma Scale (P < .001). CONCLUSION: ICP monitoring was associated with lower in-hospital mortality in children with severe TBI. Our results demonstrated the clinical benefits of ICP monitoring in managing pediatric TBI. The advantages of ICP monitoring may be amplified in children who exhibit the most severe disturbances of consciousness.