Neurocritical care
-
Behavioral examinations may fail to detect language function in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to confounds such as having an endotracheal tube. We investigated whether resting and stimulus-evoked electroencephalography (EEG) methods detect the presence of language function in patients with severe TBI. ⋯ Methods applying an automated classifier, resting background, or resting background with reactivity may identify severe TBI patients with preserved language function. Automated classifier methods may enable unbiased and efficient assessment of larger populations or serial timepoints, while qualitative visual methods may be practical in community settings.
-
Case Reports
Use of a Novel Negative-Pressure Tent During Bedside Tracheostomy in COVID-19 Patients.
Many COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations and respiratory failure remain dependent on mechanical ventilation and require tracheostomy, which is an aerosol generating procedure (AGP). The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to healthcare staff during AGPs is well documented, and negative-pressure rooms are often unavailable. Innovative techniques to decrease risk to healthcare providers during AGPs are necessary. Our objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) performed using a novel prefabricated low-cost negative-pressure tent (AerosolVE). ⋯ It is feasible to perform PDT on intubated COVID-19 patients using the AerosolVE negative-pressure tent. This is a promising low-cost device to decrease risk to healthcare providers during AGPs.
-
The original article had a typo in Table 2, the "N" for males and females should be switched. The corrected table is shown below.