Neurocritical care
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Observational Study
The Utility of Serum Procalcitonin in Distinguishing Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome from Infection After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occurs frequently after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). It is a clinical challenge to distinguish between SIRS and incipient infection. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been studied among general critical care patients as a biomarker for infection. We hypothesized that PCT could be useful to distinguish SIRS from sepsis in aSAH patients. ⋯ Procalcitonin of 0.2 ng/mL or greater was demonstrated to be very specific for sepsis among patients with aSAH. Further studies should validate this result and establish its clinical applicability.
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Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) is a complication of acquired brain injury manifesting with episodic tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, diaphoresis, hypertonia, and posturing. No universally accepted diagnostic criteria exist and diagnosis is often delayed until the rehabilitation phase. ⋯ Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity can be diagnosed early in the ICU. Strict diagnostic criteria supported the clinician's diagnosis in the majority of cases. Diagnosis should not be rejected because of any particular sign's absence, especially dystonia and posturing.
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Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) with intraventricular extension (IVH) is a devastating disease with a particular high mortality. In some aspects, IVH may resemble subarachnoid hemorrhage. The incidence and role of cerebral vasospasm in ICH with IVH are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to analyze the incidence and relationship of cerebral vasospasm to clinical characteristics, in-hospital mortality, and functional outcome at 3 months in patients suffering ICH with IVH. ⋯ Cerebral vasospasm seems to be a frequent complication after ICH with IVH and might be associated with DCI. Larger studies are warranted to confirm this hypothesis.