Neurocritical care
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Early brain injury (EBI) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is an important predictor of poor functional outcome, yet the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Animal studies suggest that platelet activation and inflammation with subsequent microthrombosis and ischemia may be a mechanism of EBI. ⋯ Platelet activation and inflammation occur acutely after SAH and are associated with worse EBI, DCI and poor 3-month functional outcomes. These markers may provide insight into the mechanism of EBI following SAH.
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The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has established a core curriculum of topics for residency training in neurocritical care. At present there is limited data evaluating neurology residency education within the neurological intensive care unit. This study evaluates learner concerns with the neurological intensive care unit. ⋯ There is significant learner concern regarding education within the neurointensive care unit. Although there are educational guidelines and focused neurocritical care educational materials, these alone do not satisfy residents' educational needs. This study demonstrates the need for educational changes, but it does not assess best strategies nor curricular content.
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Patients with severe traumatic brain injury or large intracranial space-occupying lesions (spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage, infarction, or tumor) commonly present to the neurocritical care unit with an altered mental status. Many experience progressive stupor and coma from mass effects and transtentorial brain herniation compromising the ascending arousal (reticular activating) system. ⋯ In this critical review, we discuss the ascending arousal system, brain herniation, and shortcomings of our current management including the neurological exam, intracranial pressure monitoring, and neuroimaging. We present a rationale for the development of nurse-friendly-continuous, automated, and alarmed-evoked potential monitoring, based upon the clinical and experimental literature, advances in the prognostication of cerebral anoxia, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.
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Observational Study
Predictors of Functional Outcome After Subdural Hematoma: A Prospective Study.
Although the incidence of subdural hematoma (SDH) has increased in the US in the last decade, limited prospective data exist examining risk factors for poor outcome. ⋯ Nearly 50 % of SDH patients were dead or moderate-severely disabled at 3 months. Older age, poor baseline, poor admission neurological status, history of smoking, and fever during hospitalization predicted poor outcomes, while surgical evacuation was associated with improved outcomes among those with mixed acuity or chronic/subacute SDH.
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Fever is common among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Clinicians may use microbiological cultures to differentiate infectious and aseptic fever. However, their utility depends on the prevalence of infection; and false-positive results might adversely affect patient care. We sought to quantify the cost and utility of microbiological cultures in a cohort of ICU patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ⋯ The yield of blood cultures early after spontaneous ICH was very low. False-positive results significantly increased the odds of antibiotic exposure. Our results support limiting the use of blood cultures in the first two days after ICU admission for spontaneous ICH.