Neurocritical care
-
Contrast extravasation (CE) in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), coined the spot sign, predicts hematoma expansion (HE) and poor clinical outcome. The dynamic relationship between CE and the mode of ICH growth are poorly understood. We characterized the in vivo pattern and rate of HE using a novel animal model of acute ICH. ⋯ A novel model of ICH provides real-time study of the dynamics and rate of CE. This data facilitates the understanding of pattern and rate of ICH formation.
-
Therapeutic strategies that cause an alteration in patient temperature, such as controlled normothermia (CN), therapeutic hypothermia (TH), and pentobarbital infusion (PI), are often used to manage complications caused by acute brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of vancomycin in patients with acute brain injury undergoing temperature modulation. ⋯ Patients who underwent TH/PI did not exhibit PK alterations when compared to predicted PK parameters based on population data, while patients who underwent CN experienced PK alterations favoring an increased elimination of vancomycin.
-
Electroencephalography in the setting of hypothermia and anoxia has been studied in humans since the 1950s. Specific patterns after cardiac arrest have been associated with prognosis since the 1960s, with several prognostic rating scales developed in the second half of the twentieth century. In 2002, two pivotal clinical trials were published, demonstrating improved neurologic outcomes in patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after cardiac arrest of shockable rhythms. ⋯ During the same time period, the use of continuous EEG monitoring in critically ill patients increased, which led to the recognition of subclinical seizures occurring in patients after cardiac arrest. As a result of these changes, greater amounts of EEG data are being collected, and the significance of specific patterns is being re-explored. We review the current role of EEG for the identification of seizures and the estimation of prognosis after cardiac resuscitation.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Prostacyclin Influences the Pressure Reactivity in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Treated with an ICP-Targeted Therapy.
This prospective consecutive double-blinded randomized study investigated the effect of prostacyclin on pressure reactivity (PR) in severe traumatic brain injured patients. Other aims were to describe PR over time and its relation to outcome. ⋯ Prostacyclin influenced the PR in a direction of increased pressure stability and a lower PRtot was associated with improved outcome. The individual PR varied substantially over time. The predictive value of PRtot for outcome was not solid enough to be used in the clinical situation.