A note on survival after anoxic brain injury in adolescents and young adults.

BACKGROUND Much is known about survival after traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet relatively little about survival after anoxic brain injury (ABI). OBJECTIVE To determine whether long-term survival after ABI is comparable to that after TBI. METHODS We identified 237 patients with ABI and 1,620 with TBI in California who were aged 15 to 35, survived at least 1 year post injury, and were injured in 1986 or later. We analyzed the long-term follow-up data using the Cox Proportional Hazards Regression Model, controlling for age, sex, and severity of disability. RESULTS After adjustment for risk factors, no significant differences in long-term survival between ABI and TBI were found (hazard ratio = 0.97; 95% c.i. 0.57-1.65). CONCLUSIONS In adolescents and young adults, long-term survival after ABI appears to be similar to that after TBI.