Neurocritical care
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Review Meta Analysis
Locally-administered intrathecal thrombolytics following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The volume and clearance rate of blood in the basal cisterns and ventricles are important predictors of complications following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Thus, there is a strong rationale for interventions aimed at accelerating the clearance of blood. ⋯ Current data suggests that intrathecal thrombolytics improve outcomes following SAH. However, there are important limitations to existing RCTs, with considerable risk of bias. Further standardization of techniques and evaluation in larger, more rigorous RCTs is required.
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Cerebral vasospasm has become the most concerning complication in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) seen in the neurosciences intensive care unit (NSICU). Hemodynamic augmentation is frequently used to treat cerebral ischemia from vasospasm. In the last 5 years, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) has been reported in three single case reports as a complication of hemodynamic augmentation. We describe an additional three patients seen in our institution. ⋯ PRES can be a cause of deterioration in patients with aSAH treated with hemodynamic augmentation. PRES should be differentiated from evolving infarctions due to cerebral vasospasm. Clinical manifestations and neuroimaging findings are reversible after gradual normalization of blood pressure.
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Case Reports
Multimodal neuromonitoring in a patient with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with aortic coarctation.
Aortic coarctation (AC) rarely remains undiagnosed until adulthood. Intracranial aneurysms and spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are more frequent in patients with AC than in the general population. ⋯ Cerebral aneurysm rupture associated with coarctation of the aorta is rare. The aim of this report is to call attention to AC in, particularly, young patients presenting with SAH and to discuss advanced multimodal neuromonitoring techniques used to optimize intensive care management.
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Delirium is defined by a fluctuating level of attentiveness and has been associated with increased ICU mortality and poor cognitive outcomes in both general ICU and neurocritical care populations. Sedation use in the ICU can contribute to delirium. Limiting ICU sedation allows for the diagnosis of underlying acute neurological insults associated with delirium and leads to shorter mechanical ventilation time, shorter length of stay, and improved 1 year mortality rates. Identifying the underlying etiology of delirium is critical to developing treatment paradigms.
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Strict glycemic control (SGC) is reported to have a beneficial effect on critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy (CINM) and the duration of mechanical ventilation. The methodology used to diagnose CINM differs substantially in studies on this topic. This may influence the reported treatment effect. ⋯ SGC seems to have a beneficial effect on CINM, but the reported risk reduction is likely to be an overestimation of the treatment effect due to the diagnostic methods used. Duration of mechanical ventilation may not be a reliable surrogate marker for CINM and a beneficial effect of SGC on this parameter has not been proven. We propose to use the recently developed diagnostic criteria for ICU-acquired weakness and critical illness neuromyopathy in future studies.