Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · May 2018
Delirium and agitation in traumatic brain injury patients: an update on pathological hypotheses and treatment options.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health epidemic. It represents the principal cause of death and disability in individuals aged under 35 in the USA. In the subacute phase, severe TBI patients who recover consciousness go through a state of agitation and delirium. ⋯ Despite the high prevalence of PTD, the condition often goes misrecognized and attributed primarily to the injury itself. There is increasing evidence that certain drugs such as antipsychotics can reduce the incidence and severity of delirium, whereas other drugs such as dexmedetomidine and remifentanil are associated with decreased risk of developing delirium in general ICU patients. However, there is a lack of high quality studies exploring treatment strategies for PTD in the acute setting.