Neurocritical care
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Pathophysiological processes following initial insult are complex and not fully understood. Ionized calcium (Ca++) is an essential cofactor in the coagulation cascade and platelet aggregation, and hypocalcemia may contribute to the progression of intracranial bleeding. On the other hand, Ca++ is an important mediator of cell damage after TBI and cellular hypocalcemia may have a neuroprotective effect after brain injury. We hypothesized that early hypocalcemia might have an adverse effect on the neurological outcome of patients suffering from isolated severe TBI. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between admission Ca++ level and the neurological outcome of these patients. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that among patients with isolated severe TBI, mild admission hypocalcemia is associated with better neurological status at hospital discharge. The prognostic value of Ca++ may be greater among patients with admission Glasgow Coma Scale > 8. Trials are needed to investigate the role of hypocalcemia in brain injury.
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Observational Study
Creatinine Clearance in Acute Brain Injury: A Comparison of Methods.
Currently, the measurement of glomerular filtration rate is very complex and costly, so its daily evaluation is performed using endogenous markers, of which creatinine is the most frequently used. It allows the estimation of glomerular filtration rate by means of its clearance or by formulas based on its serum and urine concentration. Augmented renal clearance (ARC) is frequent among critically ill patients and is defined as creatinine clearance (CrCl) > 130 ml/min/1.73 m2. The aim of this study was to compare measured CrCl (MCC) and estimated CrCl obtained with the Cockcroft-Gault formula (CG), the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation (MDRD), and the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (CKD-EPI) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. The second aim was to assess the incidence of ARC in this population of neurocritical patients. ⋯ In this population, there was a weak statistical correlation between measured and estimated methods. In patients with ARC, formulas underestimated MCC. MCC should probably be the preferred methodology for renal function assessment in the clinical setting to better adjust drug dosage and guarantee drug effectiveness.
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Cerebral autoregulation is an essential mechanism for maintaining cerebral blood flow stability. The phenomenon of transtentorial intracranial pressure (ICP) gradient after neurosurgical operations, complicated by edema and intracranial hypertension in the posterior fossa, has been described in clinical practice but is still underinvestigated. The aim of the study was to compare autoregulation coefficients (i.e., pressure reactivity index [PRx]) in two compartments (infratentorial and supratentorial) during the ICP gradient phenomenon. ⋯ A high degree of correlation was established between the autoregulation coefficient PRx in two compartments in the presence of transtentorial ICP gradient and persistent intracranial hypertension in the posterior fossa. Cerebral autoregulation, according to the PRx coefficient in both spaces, was similar.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important and growing cause of disability worldwide, and its cognitive consequences may be particularly significant. This study assessed the neuroprotective impacts of estradiol (E2), myrtenol (Myr), and the combination of the two on the neurological outcome, hemodynamic parameters, learning and memory, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level, phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K/AKT) signaling, and inflammatory and oxidative factors in the hippocampus after TBI. ⋯ Our results propose that Myr and E2 have neuroprotective effects on cognition impairments due to TBI.
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The outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke who require mechanical ventilation has been poor. Intubation due to a reversible condition could be associated with better 1-year survival. ⋯ The indication for intubation seems to significantly affect outcome. Functional outcome at 3 months is often poor, but a great majority of 1-year survivors are able to live at home.