Current opinion in critical care
-
For decades it was assumed that cerebral ischemia was a major cause of secondary brain injury in traumatic brain injury, and management focused on improving cerebral perfusion and blood flow. Following the observation of mitochondrial dysfunction in traumatic brain injury and the widespread use of brain tissue oxygen tension (P(br)O(2) monitoring, however, recent work has focused on the use of hyperoxia to reduce the impact of traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Despite suggestive data from microdialysis studies, direct measurement of the ability of the brain to utilize oxygen indicates that hyperoxia does not increase oxygen utilization. This, combined with the real risk of oxygen toxicity, suggests that routine clinical use is not appropriate at this time and should await appropriate prospective outcome studies.
-
The review provides key points and recent advances regarding the treatments of intracranial hypertension as a consequence of traumatic brain injury. The review is based on the pathophysiology of brain edema and draws on the current literature as well as clinical bedside experience. ⋯ One of the key issues is to consider that traumatic brain injury is more likely a syndrome than a disease. In particular, the presence or absence of a high contusional volume could influence the treatments to be implemented. The use of osmotherapy and/or high cerebral perfusion pressure should be restricted to patients without major contusions. Some physiopathological, experimental and clinical data, however, show that corticosteroids and albumin--therapies that have been proven deleterious if administered systematically--are worth reconsidering for this subgroup of patients. The current Pitié-Salpêtrière algorithm, where treatments are stratified according to their potential side effects, will be added at the end of the review as an example of an integrated strategy.
-
The article reviews the evidence for and against early intubation for brain-injured patients. ⋯ Available evidence is inconclusive regarding the role for early intubation following acute brain injury. Suboptimal performance of intubation and subsequent ventilation may offset potential benefits of the procedure. In addition, studies to better define the patient population benefiting from early intubation will help avoid exposing other patients to a potentially dangerous procedure.
-
Sepsis constitutes the most common cause of death in the ICU. Liver dysfunction is manifested among previously normal subjects with sepsis but even more so in populations with preexisting liver disease. Managing these patients is more challenging. We will review recent literature in sepsis and liver disease, and their bedside application. ⋯ Much has been advanced in the field of sepsis management. Understanding the pathophysiology of liver dysfunction and decompensation of a diseased liver incites questions for future research. Early goal-directed therapy, lactate clearance, glycemic control, low volume ventilation strategies, nutrition, adrenal insufficiency, renal dysfunction, hepatorenal syndrome prevention and treatment are some of the issues in the management of sepsis, with or without liver disease, that are relevant in this review.