Articles: brain-injuries.
-
The plasma catecholamine levels have been accepted as an index of sympathetic nervous activity in cardiovascular and neurologic disorders. It is known that the plasma norepinephrine (NE) level is thought to reflect the degree of sympathetic nervous activity. NE is the neurotransmitter released from sympathetic nerve endings. ⋯ Clinical outcome was assessed at the time of discharge according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The "good" group consisted of patients with good recovery or moderate disability. The "poor" group consisted of patients with severe disability and persistent vegetative state and the "dead" group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
A retrospective analysis of 76 civilian craniocerebral gunshot wounds treated over a 20-month period is presented. The authors report a 62% mortality rate and conclude that the admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is a valuable prognosticator of outcome. Other important findings were: patients with a GCS score of 3 invariably died, with or without surgical intervention; and the presence of intracranial hematomas, ventricular injury, or bihemispheric wounding was associated with a poor outcome. Standardized methods of data reporting should be adopted in order to allow multicenter trials or comparisons that might lead to management practices that could improve results.
-
The extent of treatment for the victims of gunshot wounds to the brain remains quite controversial, particularly when these patients present with extensive neurological dysfunction. We propose guidelines regarding the degree and aggressiveness of therapy. The factors that seem to have a significant impact on the patient's final outcome are the neurological examination at the time of admission, the radiological findings, and the motivation for the shooting. Thus, the authors propose a nonsurgical line of therapy for comatose patients with unilateral or bilateral cerebral gunshot wounds where bone or metal fragments are visualized away from the bullet path on computed tomography scan, particularly when these individuals are suicide victims.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · May 1986
Effects of fluid-percussion brain injury on regional cerebral blood flow and pial arteriolar diameter.
The effects of two levels of fluid-percussion brain injury on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and pial arteriolar diameter were investigated in cats. Regional CBF was measured using the radioactive microsphere technique. Experimental brain injury resulted in changes in arterial blood pressure, CBF, and pial arteriolar diameter that were related to the severity of the injury. ⋯ There was no evidence of reduced CBF in any region studied. Pial arterioles dilated during the posttraumatic hypertensive period and then returned to control diameters within 1 hour after injury. Changes in the diameter of pial arterioles were significantly correlated with posttraumatic changes in CBF.