• Stephen Keddie and Lebur Rohman.
• Wansbeck General Hospital, Education Centre, Woodhorn Lane, Ashington, Northumberland, UK.
• Nurs Crit Care. 2012 Jul 1;17(4):204-12.

Aims And ObjectivesTo review the pathophysiology, accuracy, effectiveness and use of Licox for brain tissue oxygen monitoring in traumatic brain injury (TBI).BackgroundThe Licox monitoring system allows continuous monitoring of partial pressure of brain tissue oxygen (PbO(2)), brain tissue temperature and intracranial pressure (ICP). The application and effectiveness of the use of Licox in TBI is not clearly explored within the literature.Inclusion CriteriaA date limit of 1995-2009, English language, all animal and human studies and the following terms were searched: Licox, brain tissue oxygenation, cerebral oxygenation and TBI. MEDLINE database was the primary data source.Exclusion CriteriaAll paediatric papers were excluded from the search. Studies not related to pathophysiology and management of TBI and brain tissue oximetry in adults were excluded. Data relevant to the subject under consideration were extracted by three independent clinicians to form a narrative report. Studies were critically evaluated using the NHS Public Health Resource Unit's checklist for each study analysed.ConclusionsLicox offers new insights into cerebral pathology and physiology. The continuous bedside monitoring provides real-time data that can be used to improve patient management and prognosis in specialist units by trained and experienced staff. More research is required to understand the limitations of this technology and why it is not in widespread use. RELEVENCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A clinical tool that could be utilized more often in the right setting to improve care to patients suffering from TBI by disseminating more information on this unique tool.© 2012 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2012 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

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