CNS drugs
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The aim was to describe the safety and efficacy of (S)-ketamine [(S)-KET] in a series of patients with refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus (RSE and SRSE) in a specialized neurological intensive care unit (NICU). ⋯ Treatment of SRSE in adult patients with (S)-KET led to resolution of status in 64 %. No adverse events were found, indicating a favorable safety profile.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The deleterious effects of secondary brain injury may be attenuated by early pharmacological therapy in the emergency room and intensive care unit (ICU). Current medical management of acute TBI is primarily supportive, aimed at reducing intracranial pressure (ICP) and optimizing cerebral perfusion. There are no pharmacological therapies to date that have been unequivocally demonstrated to improve neurological outcomes after TBI. ⋯ While there is currently no single pharmacological therapy that will unequivocally improve clinical outcomes after TBI, several agents have demonstrated promising clinical benefits for specific TBI patients and should be investigated further.