Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2005
Controlled Clinical TrialBalance of risk of therapeutic hypothermia.
The complications of therapeutic hypothermia sometimes undermine its clinical effects. In this study we investigated the efficacy and safety of therapeutic hypothermia based on analysis of 20 severe head injury cases from 6 institutions treated with therapeutic hypothermia in 1999. The twenty patients with severe head injury were enrolled prospectively based on the following indications; Glasgow Coma Scale of 7 or less on admission, age 60 or younger, and systric BP over 100 mmHg. ⋯ In the hypothermia group, severe pneumonia was seen in three patients, all in the mild hypothermia group with a hypothermic duration of over 120 hours. Mild hypothermia should be ended within 120 hours to avoid severe complication. When long-lasting therapeutic hypothermia of more than 120 hours is planned, very mild hypothermia is the treatment of choice.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2005
Controlled Clinical TrialSubdural intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, and degree of cerebral swelling in supra- and infratentorial space-occupying lesions in children.
To our knowledge comparative studies of intracranial pressure (ICP) and degree of cerebral swelling during craniotomy for supratentorial or infratentorial space occupying lesion in children are not available. In this prospective study subdural ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), dural tension, and the degree of cerebral swelling were analysed in supine and prone positioned children subjected to craniotomy for space occupying lesions. ⋯ In children with cerebral tumours ICP is higher, and the degree of cerebral swelling more pronounced in the prone-compared with supine positioned children. Choice of anaesthesia did not influence ICP, but CPP was significantly lower during isoflurane anaesthesia.
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In recent years the general trend in spinal surgery has been reduction and minimalization. In general, all these have shown a moderate or good clinical result but they have been associated with serious sequelae. Plasma-mediated electrosurgery, widely used in other medical fields, has demonstrated to be well suited for this new indication. ⋯ Results indicate that Nucleoplasty may be an efficacious minimally invasive technique for the treatment of symptoms associated with contained herniated disc. However, randomized controlled studies are required to know with more precision the role of this procedure. CAM procedure (13 cases) is an excellent method in cases of root compression that needs liberation or in spine stenosis.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2005
Controlled Clinical TrialGlucose metabolism in traumatic brain injury: a combined microdialysis and [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) study.
Following traumatic brain injury, as a consequence of ionic disturbances and neurochemical cascades, glucose metabolism is affected. [18F]-2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) provides a measure of global and regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglc), but only during the time of the scan. Microdialysis monitors energy metabolites over extended time periods, but only in a small focal volume of the brain. Our objective in this study is to assess the association of parameters derived from these techniques when applied to patients with traumatic brain injury. ⋯ There were significant relations between rCMRglc and dialysate lactate (r = 0.58, P = 0.04); pyruvate (r = 0.57, P = 0.04), L/G (r = 0.55, P = 0.05), and the P/G (r = 0.56, P = 0.05) but not between rCMRglc and dialysate glucose, L/P or glutamate in this data set. The results suggest that increases in glucose utilization as assessed by FDG-PET in these patients albeit in mainly healthy tissue are associated with increases in dialysate lactate, pyruvate, L/G and the P/G ratio perhaps indicating a general rise in metabolism rather than a shift towards non-oxidative metabolism. Further observations are required with regions of interest (microdialysis catheters positioned) adjacent to mass lesions notably contusions.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2005
Association between outcome, cerebral pressure reactivity and slow ICP waves following head injury.
To investigate the relationships between slow vasogenic waves ('B waves') of intracranial pressure (ICP), pressure-reactivity and outcome after traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Inadequate pressure-reactivity and low magnitude of slow vasogenic waves of ICP are associated with fatal outcome after head injury. Based on brain monitoring data, differentiation between favourable outcome and severe disability is more problematic than differentiation between survivors and non-survivors.