Clinical factors associated with delayed emergency department visit in intracranial traumatic brain injury: from a multicenter injury surveillance registry

Introduction: Early diagnosis and intervention by visiting the emergency department (ED) are important for traumatic brain injury (TBI). We evaluate the factors associated with delayed ED visits in patients with intracranial TBI.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter observational study using the ED-based injury in-depth surveillance database (EDIIS) was designed. Patients with intracranial TBI with an alert mentality at ED presentation from 2014 to 2019 were enrolled. Patients were categorized into four groups according to ED visit time after injury (<1 h, 1-3 h, 3-12 h, and >12 h). ED visits after 12 h were defined as delayed ED visits. The factors associated with delayed ED visits were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results: Among 15,620 patients with TBI enrolled in the final analysis, 2,190 (14.0%) visited the ED 12 h after injury. Multivariable analysis identified the following factors as independent predictors for delayed ED visit such as unintentionally struck by or against an object or unintentional fall as a trauma mechanism, injury during ordinary activities, indoor injury, injury during nighttime, winter season, combined subdural hemorrhage and epidural hemorrhage.

Conclusion: In patients with intracranial TBI with an alert mentality, multiple factors related to patient demographics and injury characteristics were associated with the time interval from injury to ED visit.