Neurocritical care
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Patients with hemorrhagic stroke and an external ventricular drain in situ are at risk for ventriculostomy-related-infections (VRI). Because of the contamination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with blood and the high frequency of false negative CSF culture, the diagnosis of VRI remains challenging. This study investigated the introduction of CSF broad range eubacterial polymerase chain reaction (ePCR) and its effect on frequency and duration of antibiotic therapy for VRI, neurocritical care unit (NCCU) length of stay, related costs, and outcome. ⋯ The use of CSF ePCR to identify VRI resulted in shorter antibiotic treatment duration without changing the outcome, as compared with a retrospective cohort of patients with suspected VRI.
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The association between the red cell distribution width (RDW) and long-term mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has not been clearly established. ⋯ In patients with ICH, RDW independently predicted long-term mortality. Median RDW levels within the first month after admission were better predictors of long-term mortality compared with RDW levels on admission. Additionally, median RDW-CV showed superior predictive capacity than median RDW-SD for long-term mortality following ICH.
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Observational Study
Interaction of Optimal Cerebral Perfusion Pressure with Early Brain Injury and its Impact on Ischemic Complications and Outcome Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Cerebral autoregulation is impaired early on after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The study objective was to explore the pressure reactivity index (PRx) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in the earliest phase after aneurysm rupture and to address the question of whether an optimal CPP (CPPopt)-targeted management is associated with less severe early brain injury (EBI). ⋯ Patients with CPP near to the calculated CPPopt in the early phase after aSAH experienced less severe EBI, less frequently received decompressive hemicraniectomy, and exhibited a lower mortality rate. A prospective evaluation of CPPopt-guided management starting in the first days after ictus is needed to confirm the clinical validity of this concept.
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Biography Historical Article
Brown-Séquard's Famous Lecture that Gave Him the Eponym (and What Else He Said).