The ICEBERG: A score and visual representation to track the severity of traumatic brain injury: Design principles and preliminary results

BACKGROUND Establishing neurological prognoses in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients remains challenging. To help physicians in the early management of severe TBI, we have designed a visual score (ICEBERG score) including multimodal monitoring and treatment-related criteria. We evaluated the ICEBERG scores among patients with severe TBI to predict the 28-day mortality and long-term disability (Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale score at 3 years). In addition, we made a preliminary assessment of the nurses and doctors on the uptake and reception to the use of the ICEBERG visual tool. METHODS This study was part of a larger prospective cohort study of 207 patients with severe TBI in the Parisian region (PariS-TBI study). The ICEBERG score included six variables from multimodal monitoring and treatment-related criteria: cerebral perfusion pressure, intracranial pressure, body temperature, sedation depth, arterial partial pressure of CO2, and blood osmolarity. The primary outcome measures included the ICEBERG score and its relationship with hospital mortality and Extended Glasgow Outcome Score. RESULTS The hospital mortality was 21% (45/207). The ICEBERG score baseline value and changes during the 72nd first hours were more strongly associated with TBI prognosis than the ICEBERG parameters measured individually. Interestingly, when the clinical and computed tomography parameters at admission were combined with the ICEBERG score at 48 hours using a multimodal approach, the predictive value was significantly increased (area under the curve = 0.92). Furthermore, comparing the ICEBERG visual representation with the traditional numerical readout revealed that changes in patient vitals were more promptly detected using ICEBERG representation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The ICEBERG score could represent a simple and effective method to describe severity in TBI patients, where a high score is associated with increased mortality and disability. In addition, ICEBERG representation could enhance the recognition of unmet therapeutic goals and dynamic evolution of the patient's condition. These preliminary results must be confirmed in a prospective manner. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic Tests or Criteria; Level III.