Characteristics of included studies
| Author, year | Study type | Intervention arm | n (%) | Age (years)* | Male, N (%) | Penetrating injury, n (%) | Neurosurgical intervention, n (%) |
| Ahl et al, 201722 | Retrospective | BB+ | 76 (50) | 57.2±14 | 57 (75.0) | 0 | ICP monitoring 49 (64.5) Operation 46 (60.5) |
| BB− | 76 (50) | 57.9±15.8 | 60 (78.9) | 0 | ICP monitoring 48 (63.2) Operation 37 (48.7) | ||
| Asmar et al, 202123 | Retrospective | BB+ | 772 (50) | 64.2±15.3 | 437 (56.6) | 137 (18.8) | EVD 69 (9.0) Craniotomy/craniectomy 84 (10.8) |
| BB− | 772 (50) | 62.6±15.4 | 431 (55.8) | 144 (19.6) | EVD 67 (8.7) Craniotomy/craniectomy 86 (11.1) | ||
| Bukur et al, 201214 | Retrospective | BB+ | 866 (35.4) | 43±22 | 684 (79.0) | 0 | Craniotomy/craniectomy 130 (15.0) |
| BB− | 1580 (64.6) | 39±21 | 1201 (76.0) | 0 | Craniotomy/craniectomy 63 (4.0) | ||
| Cotton et al, 20078 | Retrospective | BB+ | 174 (41.4) | 50.5 (28–70) | 105 (60.3) | 6 (3.4) | – |
| BB− | 246 (58.6) | 30.5 (21–47) | 162 (65.8) | 11 (4.5) | – | ||
| Edavettal et al, 201624 | Retrospective | BB+ | 56 (33.3) | – | – | – | – |
| BB− | 112 (66.7) | – | – | – | – | ||
| Inaba et al, 200811 | Retrospective | BB+ | 203 (17.6) | 50.1±21.1 | 158 (78) | 0 | Craniectomy 47 (23) |
| BB− | 953 (82.4) | 38.1±20.4 | 705 (74) | 0 | Craniectomy 35 (4) | ||
| Jang et al, 201825 | Retrospective | BB+ | 18 (19) | – | – | – | – |
| BB− | 77 (81) | – | – | – | – | ||
| Khalili et al, 202026 | Randomized control trial | BB+ | 99 | 37±17 | 86 (86.9) | 0 | Craniotomy/craniectomy 30 (30.3) |
| BB− | 120 | 39±20 | 103 (85.8) | 0 | Craniotomy/craniectomy 50 (41.7) | ||
| Ko et al, 201627 | Prospective | BB+ | 109 | 49.6±20.8 | 77 (70.6) | – | Craniotomy/craniectomy 12 (11.0) |
| BB− | 331 | 60.4±23.1 | 216 (65.3) | – | Craniotomy/craniectomy 51 (15.4) | ||
| Ley et al, 201817 | Prospective | BB+ | 1120 (49.7) | 57±22 | 784 (0.7) | 0 | EVD 134 (12) Craniotomy/craniectomy 257 (23) |
| BB− | 1132 (50.3) | 49±21 | 770 (0.68) | 0 | EVD 79 (7) Craniotomy/craniectomy 148 (13) | ||
| Mohseni et al, 201515 | Retrospective | BB+ | 287 (32.8) | 62±16 | 210 (0.73) | – | Craniotomy/craniectomy 32 (0.11) |
| BB− | 587 (67.2) | 49±21 | 429 (0.73) | – | Craniotomy/craniectomy 141 (0.24) | ||
| Riordan et al, 20079 | Retrospective | BB+ | 138 (30.9) | 35.8 (23.6–49.7) | 113 (81.9) | – | – |
| BB− | 308 (69.1) | 28.7 (20.6–41.0) | 232 (75.3) | – | – | ||
| Salim et al, 200810 | Retrospective | BB+ | 91 (21.7) | 53.9±21.6 | 70 (76.9) | 0 | – |
| BB− | 329 (78.3) | 41.1±20.3 | 243 (73.9) | 0 | – | ||
| Schroeppel et al, 201012 | Retrospective | BB+ | 506 (19.5) | 51±20 | – | 0 | – |
| BB− | 2095 (80.5) | 38±17 | – | 0 | – | ||
| Schroeppel et al, 201428 | Retrospective | BB+ | 427 (24.3) | 49±20 | 333 (0.78) | – | – |
| BB− | 1328 (75.7) | 40±18 | 983 (0.74) | – | – | ||
| Schroeppel et al, 201929 | Randomized control trial | BB+ | 13 (52.0) | 49.7±19.0 | 9 (69.2) | 2 (0.15) | – |
| BB− | 12 (48.0) | 53.0±21.9 | 7 (58.3) | 1 (0.08) | – | ||
| Zangbar et al, 201630 | Retrospective | BB+ | 178 (50.0) | 57.6±19.9 | 130 (73) | 0 | Craniotomy/craniectomy 32 (18) |
| BB− | 130 (50.0) | 59.7±20.9 | 125 (70) | 0 | Craniectomy/craniotomy 23 (13) |
*Mean±SD or median (IQR).
BB, beta blocker; EVD, external ventricular drain; ICP, intracranial pressure.