Neurocritical care
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The volume of hemorrhage is a crucial factor in predicting outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Although grading scales such as the Fisher score are widely used, they can lead to inaccuracies in quantifying the total blood volume because of their reliance on visual assessment. We analyzed a large cohort of patients with aSAH with a semiautomated software for the precise quantification of hemorrhage volume. The primary aim is to identify clear thresholds that correlate with the likelihood of complications after aSAH, thereby enhancing the predictive accuracy and improving patient management strategies. ⋯ Semiautomated blood volume quantification tools could aid in stratifying complication risk after aSAH. Established thresholds for hemorrhage volume related to complications could be used in clinical practice to aid in management decisions.
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Alterations in regional brain microcirculation have not been well studied in patients with sepsis. Regional brain microcirculation can be studied using contrast-enhanced brain ultrasound (CEUS) with microbubble administration. ⋯ Alterations in regional brain microcirculation are present in critically ill patients with sepsis and are associated with poor outcome. Trial registration Registered retrospectively on December 19, 2019.
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The perception of having poor social support is associated with worse symptoms of psychological distress in close family members of critically ill patients, yet this has never been tested after cardiac arrest. ⋯ Poor social support during hospitalization, as perceived by close family members of cardiac arrest survivors, is associated with worse depressive symptoms at 1 month. Temporal changes in social networks and psychological distress warrant further investigation.