Neurocritical care
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Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is associated with worse outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Studies have confirmed that ICP is correlated with optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) on ultrasound. The aim of our study was to assess the independent relationship between ONSD measured using CT and mortality in a population of patients admitted with severe TBI. ⋯ In patients with TBI, ONSD measured on CT scanning was independently associated with ICP and mortality.
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Endovascular cooling is currently used for hypothermia treatment and fever reduction therapy. At the same time, little is known about the risks associated to endovascular cooling in patients treated with an endovascular cooling catheter (ECC). ⋯ Our data show that the treatment with ECC increases the risk of TEE in SAH patients. Therefore, especially when considered for fever reduction, non-invasive devices for surface cooling should be the first choice.
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Subdural fluid collections (hygromas and effusions) in adults are usually seen following head trauma or overdrainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after CSF diversion procedures. We report an unusual case of subdural fluid collection that developed spontaneously 5 days after an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This patient neither had permanent CSF diversion procedure nor history of significant head trauma during her clinical course. ⋯ Subdural fluid collections following SAH can occur as a result of head trauma, external hydrocephalus, or as a treatment complication of CSF shunting and craniotomies. It is critical to differentiate simple hygromas from external hydrocephalus since their response to CSF diversion is entirely different.
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The vascular wall tension (WT) of small cerebral vessels can be quantitatively estimated through the concept of critical closing pressure (CrCP), which denotes the lower limit of arterial blood pressure (ABP), below which small cerebral arterial vessels collapse and blood flow ceases. WT can be expressed as the difference between CrCP and intracranial pressure (ICP) and represent active vasomotor tone. In this study, we investigated the association of WT and CrCP with autoregulation and outcome of a large group of patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Impaired autoregulation was found to be associated with a lower WT supporting the role of vasoparalysis in the loss of autoregulatory capacity. In contrast, no links between CrCP and autoregulation could be identified.
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is common following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but the influence of mechanical ventilator settings on its development is unclear. We sought to determine adherence to lung protective thresholds in ventilated patients with SAH and describe the association between ventilator settings and subsequent development of ARDS. ⋯ Patients with SAH requiring mechanical ventilation frequently breathe spontaneously, generating tidal volumes above usual protective thresholds regardless of meeting ARDS criteria. In patients with SAH, the presence of an additional ARDS risk factor should prompt close screening for the development of ARDS and consideration of adjustment of ventilator settings to meet lung protective thresholds.