Neurocritical care
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Airway management and ventilation are central to the resuscitation of the neurologically ill. These patients often have evolving processes that threaten the airway and adequate ventilation. ⋯ Therefore, airway, ventilation, and sedation was chosen as an emergency neurological life support protocol. Topics include airway management, when and how to intubate with special attention to hemodynamics and preservation of cerebral blood flow, mechanical ventilation settings, and the use of sedative agents based on the patient's neurological status.
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Impairment of cerebrovascular autoregulation is a risk factor for ischemic damage following severe brain injury. Autoregulation can be assessed indirectly using intracranial pressure monitoring as a surrogate of cerebral blood volume, but this measure may not be applicable to patients following decompressive craniectomy. Here, we describe assessment of autoregulation using regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). ⋯ Assessment of autoregulation with Hemedex® rCBF monitor is feasible and could be used to guide CPP management strategies to optimize both autoregulation and perfusion. Autoregulatory impairment and CPPopt vary considerably between patients, and the addition of rCBF monitoring could help guide CPP targeting decisions.
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Autonomic dysfunction in pediatric patients with acquired brain injury is often encountered and greatly understudied. We sought to identify the incidence of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity (PSH) in critically ill pediatric patients with meningoencephalitis and encephalitis, associated risk factors and influence on outcome. ⋯ PSH was found in a high percentage of our patients with significant variation in risk factors and outcome noted between patients with bacterial and nonbacterial causes of their meningoencephalitis/encephalitis.
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Acute non-traumatic weakness may be life threatening if it involves the respiratory muscles or is associated with autonomic dysfunction. Most patients presenting with acute muscle weakness have a worsening neurological disorder that requires a rapid, systematic evaluation, and detailed neurological exam to localize the disorder. ⋯ Causes of acute non-traumatic weakness are discussed by both presenting clinical signs and anatomical location. For each diagnosis, key features of the history, examination, investigations, and treatment are outlined in the included tables.
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Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a neurological emergency because it may lead to sudden neurological decline and death and, depending on the cause, has treatment options that can return a patient to normal. Because there are interventions that can be life-saving in the first hour of onset, SAH was chosen as an Emergency Neurological Life Support protocol.