Neurocritical care
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Neurovascular-based imaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI) may reveal signs of consciousness in clinically unresponsive patients but are often subject to logistical challenges in the intensive care unit (ICU). Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is another neurovascular imaging technique but low cost, can be performed serially at the bedside, and may be combined with electroencephalography (EEG), which are important advantages compared to fMRI. Combined NIRS-EEG, however, has never been evaluated for the assessment of neurovascular coupling and consciousness in acute brain injury. ⋯ We suggest that NIRS-EEG for monitoring of acute brain injury in the ICU is worthy of further exploration. Normalization of neurovascular coupling may herald recovery of consciousness after acute brain injury.
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Observational Study
High Serum Levels of Caspase-3 and Early Mortality in Patients with Severe Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.
Apoptotic cell death leads to secondary brain injury after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SIH). There is an association between serum caspase-3 levels and late mortality (at 6 months) in patients with SIH in basal ganglia. The new objective of this study was to determine whether there exists an association between serum caspase-3 levels and early mortality (at 30 days) in patients with SIH at different sites and not only in basal ganglia. ⋯ The new findings of our study are that serum caspase-3 levels are associated with early mortality in patients with severe supratentorial SIH at different sites and that those levels during the first week of SIH are higher in non-survivors than in survivors.
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Infection and venous thromboembolism (VTE) are associated with worse outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The relationship between infection and VTE in ICH patients is unclear. We hypothesized that infection would be associated with subsequent VTE after ICH. ⋯ Infections are associated with subsequent risk of VTE among patients with ICH. Further investigation is required to elucidate mechanisms behind this association and to improve VTE prevention after ICH.
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Limiting tidal volume (VT), plateau pressure, and driving pressure is essential during the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but may be challenging when brain injury coexists due to the risk of hypercapnia. Because lowering dead space enhances CO2 clearance, we conducted a study to determine whether and to what extent replacing heat and moisture exchangers (HME) with heated humidifiers (HH) facilitate safe VT lowering in brain-injured patients with ARDS. ⋯ The dead space reduction provided by HH allows to safely reduce VT without modifying PaCO2 nor cerebral perfusion. This permits to provide a wider proportion of brain-injured ARDS patients with less injurious ventilation.
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Intracranial compliance refers to the relationship between a change in intracranial volume and the resultant change in intracranial pressure (ICP). Measurement of compliance is useful in managing cardiovascular and respiratory failure; however, there are no contemporary means to assess intracranial compliance. Knowledge of intracranial compliance could complement ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) monitoring in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may enable a proactive approach to ICP management. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to capitalize on the physiologic principles of intracranial compliance and vascular reactivity to CO2, and standard-of-care neurocritical care monitoring, to develop a method to assess dynamic intracranial compliance. ⋯ Indirect assessment of dynamic intracranial compliance in TBI patients using standard-of-care monitoring appears feasible and suggests a prolonged period of derangement out to 5 days post-injury. Further study is ongoing to determine if the PCI-a new physiologic index, complements utility of ICP and/or CPP in guiding management of patients with severe TBI.