Cases of traumatic and nontraumatic brain damage have high rates of morbidity and mortality. In this study of cases being treated in the ICU for a diagnosis of brain damage, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between mortality and the distribution of reason for and resulting type of brain damage and to determine other factors affecting mortality.

After local ethics committee approval, a total of 1004 patients treated in the ICU in a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. 135 patients, determined with traumatic or nontraumatic brain damage, with a more than 24-hour stay in the ICU, included the study. Reasons for brain damage were determined as brain damage associated with pure head trauma (Group HT), head trauma accompanying general body trauma (Group HT+GBT) and spontaneous haemorrhage (Group SH). The type of brain damage was defined from the radiological diagnosis as subarachnoid haemorrhage, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), subdural haematoma(SDH), epidural haematoma(EDH), skull fracture, brain contusion or a combination of these (COM).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients treated in the ICU with the diagnose of traumatic or nontraumatic brain damage, with a more than 24-hour stay.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients admitted less than 24 hour.

a total of 1004 patients treated in the ICU in a 2-year period were retrospectivly reviewed. 135 patients, determined with traumatic or nontraumatic brain damage, with a more than 24-hour stay in the ICU, included the study.