Clinical ScienceClinical outcomes in patients on preinjury ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury

•The clinical effect of Ibuprofen therapy on outcomes in trauma patients remains unclear.•In a matched cohort of patients, we found no difference in outcomes in patients with head injury on with and without Ibuprofen therapy.•Even in patients without platelet transfusion, the outcomes between head injured patients on Ibuprofen therapy were similar to patients without Ibuprofen therapy.•Ibuprofen therapy as a sole criterion does not required a routine repeat head computed tomography scan.

BackgroundThe aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients on preinjury Ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury.MethodsWe performed a 2-year analysis of all patients on prehospital Ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury and intracranial hemorrhage. Patients on preinjury Ibuprofen were matched using propensity score matching to patients not on Ibuprofen in a 1:2 ratio for age, Glasgow Coma Scale, head-abbreviated injury scale, injury severity score, International Normalized Ratio, and neurologic examination. Outcome measures were progression on repeat head computed tomography (RHCT) and neurosurgical intervention.ResultsA total of 195 matched (Ibuprofen 65, no-Ibuprofen 130) patients were included. There was no difference in the progression on RHCT (Ibuprofen 18% vs no-Ibuprofen 24%; P = .50). The neurosurgical intervention rate was 18.9% (n = 37). There was no difference for need for neurosurgical intervention (26% vs 16%; P = .10) between the 2 groups.ConclusionsIn a matched cohort of trauma patients, preinjury Ibuprofen use was not associated with progression of initial intracranial hemorrhage and the need for neurosurgical intervention. Preinjury use of Ibuprofen as an independent variable should not warrant the need for a routine RHCT scan.