Neurological research
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Neurological research · Jul 1999
ReviewIndomethacin: a review of its cerebral blood flow effects and potential use for controlling intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury patients.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes about 75,000 deaths and leaves approximately 200,000 people disabled in USA each year. Brain swelling and increased intracranial pressure (ICP) contribute to this morbidity and mortality. Aggressive management protocols, including ICP control, have been shown to reduce the overall mortality from 50% to 36% following severe head injury. ⋯ IND should only be considered an experimental treatment for control of refractory ICP in TBI patients. Larger, well-designed randomized trials in TBI patients will provide more efficacy and safety data and delineate the effects of IND alone or in combination with other proven, effective, or experimental therapies. Once these concerns have been addressed, larger outcome studies will ultimately be needed to determine the role of IND for ICP control in TBI patients.
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Neurological research · Jan 1999
ReviewEpidural fibrosis and the failed back surgery syndrome: history and physical findings.
Patients who present with recurrent symptoms after surgical intervention aimed at correcting their lumbosacral disease pose a therapeutic challenge. A heterogeneous group of factors may underlie symptom recurrence and formulation of a therapeutic strategy depends on an accurate diagnosis of the patient's underlying problem. In this review, the authors discuss the relevant historical and physical findings in patients with epidural fibrosis and the failed back surgery syndrome.
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Neurological research · Jun 1998
Review Case ReportsCutaneous T-cell lymphoma with intracerebral and bilateral intraocular spread.
Brain metastasis from systemic or cutaneous lymphoma is infrequently encountered. We present a case report of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) that metastasized to the brain. ⋯ This report focuses attention on the typical presentation and markedly poor prognosis that characterize this rare problem. It also emphasizes the suspicion with which a brain mass in a lymphoma patient with neurological changes should be regarded.
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Fosphenytoin is a phenytoin prodrug that has been introduced to overcome some of the problems and limitations associated with parenteral phenytoin sodium administration. Fosphenytoin is a phosphate ester prodrug that is converted to phenytoin in vivo by peripheral esterases. ⋯ Disadvantages with fosphenytoin include rate and dose related paresthesias and pruritus, delayed decreases in blood pressure, the potential for therapeutic drug monitoring errors, and higher drug acquisition costs. In general, given the pros and cons of the new drug, fosphenytoin offers an attractive alternative for parenteral phenytoin in select individuals.
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The use of techniques to measure cerebral oxygen saturation is gradually gaining wide popularity. The main methods available today can mainly be classified as invasive or noninvasive. ⋯ At present there is no universally accepted indication for the use of either technique but with time and wider use they are expected to become better understood. We discuss our experience and the techniques used in cerebral oximetry.