Neurocritical care
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The pathogenesis of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains obscure. The authors assessed the relationship of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and TNF-α gene polymorphisms with occurrence of DCI and poor outcome at 3 months. ⋯ It is unlikely that serum TNF-α or TNF-α genotype play an important role in the occurrence of DCI after SAH.
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There is some evidence that hyperglycemia increases the rate of poor outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We explored the relationship between various parameters of serum glucose concentrations measured during acute hospitalization and hematoma expansion, perihematomal edema, and three month outcome among subjects with ICH. ⋯ Decline in serum glucose concentration correlated with reduction in proportion of subjects with hematoma expansion and poor clinical outcome. These results provide a justification for a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of aggressive serum glucose reduction in reducing death and disability among patients with ICH.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness and Glasgow Liege Scale/Glasgow Coma Scale in an intensive care unit population.
The Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) has been proposed as an alternative for the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)/Glasgow Liège Scale (GLS) in the evaluation of consciousness in severely brain-damaged patients. We compared the FOUR and GLS/GCS in intensive care unit patients who were admitted in a comatose state. ⋯ The FOUR score is a valid tool with good inter-rater reliability that is comparable to the GLS/GCS in predicting outcome. It offers the advantage to be performable in intubated patients and to identify non-verbal signs of consciousness by assessing visual pursuit, and hence minimal signs of consciousness (11% in this study), not assessed by GLS/GCS scales.
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Low pressure hydrocephalus (LPH) is an uncommon entity. Recognition of this treatable condition is important when clinicians are faced with the paradox of symptomatic hydrocephalus despite low intracranial pressures (ICP). Its etiology remains enigmatic. ⋯ Low pressure hydrocephalus is a challenging diagnosis. The genesis of LPH was associated with a drop in EVD output, symptomatic ventriculomegaly, and a remarkable absence of intracranial hypertension. When LPH was treated with the sub-zero method, a 'diuresis' of CSF ensued. These observations support a Darcy's flux of brain interstitial fluid due to altered brain poroelastance; in simpler terms, a boggy brain state.
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Neurocritical illness heavily burdens the developing world. In spite of a lack of resources for population-based health in most developing countries, there is an increasing demand for resource-intense strategies for acute neurological care. ⋯ Possible steps to improve the global practice of neurocritical care include: (1) emphasis on prevention of neurocritical illness through traffic safety and adequate outpatient treatment; (2) standardization of training requirements and skill sets; (3) guidelines on cost-effective measures including medications, equipment, and devices; (4) strengthening of surveillance systems and registries for both noncommunicable and communicable neurological diseases; (5) expanded use of teleneurology; (6) educational exchanges of neurointensive health care workers; and (7) monitoring of neurological intensive care unit death rates due to nosocomial infections, neurological disease, and other causes. A summary of reported mortality rates among neurocritically ill patients in African countries in recent years is provided as an illustrative example.