Effect of early mechanical ventilation on the expression of inflammatory factors and prognosis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of early mechanical ventilation on the expression of inflammatory factors and prognosis of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). METHODS From January 2017 to December 2020, 138 patients with sTBI admitted to the department of the emergency of Xinhua Hospital Chongming Branch were enrolled. Although some patients were admitted to hospital without acute respiratory failure, their Glasgow coma score (GCS) were less than 8, they bad risk of hypoxia, so early mechanical ventilation was required. According to the patient's condition and the willingness of family members, patients were divided into mechanical ventilation group (tracheal intubation mechanical ventilation) and conventional oxygen inhalation group (nasal catheter or mask oxygen inhalation) in the end. The arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL-6, IL-10) levels at admission, preoperation and 72 hours postoperation, as well as GCS before operation and 1 week after operation, the duration and number of patients successfully evacuated from the ventilator within 1 week after surgery were observed and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 138 sTBI patients were enrolled in the study, including 72 cases in the mechanical ventilation group and 66 cases in the routine oxygen inhalation group. In the two groups, PaO2, PaO2/FiO2 and IL-10 were higher, and PaCO2, TNF-α and IL-6 were lower at 72 hours post operation than that before operation. Moreover, the changes in the mechanical ventilation group were more significant than those in the conventional oxygen inhalation group [PaO2 (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 94.6±7.7 vs. 92.5±6.8, PaO2/FiO2 (mmHg): 351±94 vs. 319±89, IL-10 (ng/L): 8.2±2.7 vs. 7.4±1.8, PaCO2 (mmHg): 35.6±1.8 vs. 37.5±2.7, TNF-α(ng/L): 71.5±6.3 vs. 96.8±15.5, IL-6 (ng/L): 10.8±3.9 vs. 14.4±6.5, all P < 0.05]. There were 17 patients with severe respiratory insufficiency or failure in the conventional oxygen inhalation group before operation. Compared with the conventional oxygen inhalation group, the GCS score (11.7±3.1 vs. 9.1±4.6) and the proportion of successful weaning [62.5% (45/72) vs. 44.0% (29/66)] were significantly higher, and the duration of successful weaning (hours: 63.5±28.6 vs. 88.1±33.9) was significantly shorter in the mechanical ventilation group 1 week after operation. CONCLUSIONS Early mechanical ventilation in sTBI patients can significantly improve oxygen supply, inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory factors, reduce secondary brain damage, and effectively improve the prognosis.