Prognostic features in recovery from traumatic decerebration.

TLDR: The particular factors evaluated are the duration of decerebrate rigidity, the presence or absence of an intracranial hematoma of surgical proportions, the time of surgical intervention in relation to onset of decerebration, and the use of corticosteroids.

Abstract: HE presence of decerebrate rigidity following head injury is a grave prognostic sign of brain stem damage or brain stem compression secondary to tentorial herniation. During the last 2 decades there have been frequent reports of recovery from the decerebrate state; 3-5,s Nevertheless, the reported mortality ranged from 38% to 50% with severe neurological and psychiatric deficits in many of the survivors. It therefore seemed of value to review our experience with these patients in an effort to obtain some indication for improving their care. The particular factors we have evaluated are the duration of decerebration, the presence or absence of an intracranial hematoma of surgical proportions, the time of surgical intervention in relation to onset of decerebration, and the use of corticosteroids.