Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
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Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Nov 1998
ReviewCerebrovascular pressure transmission analysis as a guide to the pathophysiology of raised intracranial pressure.
1. Raised intracranial pressure (ICP) is a major factor associated with morbidity and mortality in patients with severe head injury. Identifying the mechanisms responsible for raised ICP may be difficult and, as a result, treatment prescribed may be non-specific and often ineffective. 2. ⋯ Laboratory models have identified specific CVPT patterns associated with various causes of raised ICP. These studies have been extended to clinical practice and have been used to define patterns of CVPT in head-injured patients, which may be used to identify mechanisms responsible for raised ICP, thus assisting in directing treatment strategy. Clinical usefulness of this technique in patient management is currently under investigation.
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1. Sepsis is the leading reversible cause of death in patients requiring modern intensive care services. 2. ⋯ As septic shock is the most common early manifestation of severe sepsis, an understanding of mechanisms of myocardial dysfunction is of clinical relevance. In the present review, we will discuss mechanisms of remote organ failure in sepsis, focusing in particular on the pathogenesis of myocardial dysfunction.