Neurocritical care
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Albumin-Induced Neuroprotection in Focal Cerebral Ischemia in the ALIAS Trial: Does Severity, Mechanism, and Time of Infusion Matter?
To determine whether there is any differential benefit of albumin administration within 2 h of onset of ischemia and in settings (severe ischemia with reperfusion in cardioembolic strokes with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≥15), most representative of experimental models of cerebral ischemia in which albumin was effective in reducing neurological injury. ⋯ A trend for benefit is noted in ischemic stroke patients with large cardioembolic stroke (NIHSS ≥15) when high-dose albumin was initiated within 2 h, suggesting that certain ischemic stroke subgroups of patients most representative of preclinical settings may benefit from such a treatment. Additional clinical trials maybe needed to stratify subjects and treatment assignments according to NIHSS severity and timely randomization to evaluate this concept further.
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Long-term continuous intra-arterial nimodipine infusion (CIAN) is a rescue therapy option in cases of severe refractory cerebral vasospasm (CV) following acute non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, CIAN therapy can be associated with relevant side effects. Available studies focus on intracerebral complications, whereas extracerebral side effects are rarely examined. Aim of the present study was to generate descriptive data on the clinical course during CIAN therapy and expectable extracerebral side effects. ⋯ Long-term CIAN therapy is associated with diverse side effects. The leading problems are an impairment of the hemodynamic situation and cardiac problems, an increase in infectious complications, a worsening of the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and rising ICP values. Teams on neurointensive care units must be aware of these side effects to avoid that the beneficial effects of CIAN therapy on CV reported elsewhere are foiled by the problems this technique can be associated with.
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Neurological complications in liver failure are common. Often under-recognized neurological complications are seizures and status epilepticus. These may go unrecognized without continuous electroencephalography (CEEG). We highlight the observed electro-radiological changes in patients with grade III/IV hepatic encephalopathy (HE) found to have seizures and/or status epilepticus on CEEG and the associated neuroimaging. ⋯ Seizures or status epilepticus in the setting of HE were without clinical findings and could go unrecognized without CEEG. The finding of cortical hyperintensity on MRI should lead to further evaluation for unrecognized seizure or status epilepticus.
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Patients who have undergone intracranial neurosurgical procedures have traditionally been admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) for close postoperative neurological observation. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence for routine ICU admission in patients undergoing intracranial neurosurgical procedures and to evaluate the safety of alternative postoperative pathways. ⋯ Our systematic review demonstrates that routine postoperative ICU admission may not benefit carefully selected patients who have undergone elective intracranial neurosurgical procedures. In addition, limiting routine ICU admission may result in significant cost savings.
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There is a lack of data describing the risk factors for extubation failure (EF) or tracheostomy placement in pediatric neurocritical care (NCC) patients. ⋯ A weak/absent cough reflex is associated with an increased risk of failing extubation and placement of a tracheostomy in intubated pediatric NCC patients.