Neurocritical care
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Influence of Glycemic Control on Endogenous Circulating Ketone Concentrations in Adults Following Traumatic Brain Injury.
The objective was to investigate the impact of targeting tight glycemic control (4.4-6.1 mM) on endogenous ketogenesis in severely head-injured adults. ⋯ Permissive underfeeding was tolerated when targeting tight glycemic control, but total nutritional support is an important factor when treating hyperglycemia.
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Review Case Reports
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in Traumatic Brain Injury.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a well-known complication after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and has been rarely described in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is under-recognized after TBI and may negatively impact outcome if left untreated.
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Multicenter Study
Volume of Plasma Expansion and Functional Outcomes in Stroke.
Plasma expansion in acute ischemic stroke has potential to improve cerebral perfusion, but the long-term effects on functional outcome are mixed in prior trials. The goal of this study was to evaluate how the magnitude of plasma expansion affects neurological recovery in acute stroke. ⋯ The present study demonstrates an association between greater volume of plasma expansion and worse neurological recovery.
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A growing body of clinical literature emphasizes the impact of cerebral edema in early brain injury following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Aneurysm rupture itself initiates global cerebral edema in up to two thirds of cases. Although cerebral edema is not a universal feature of aSAH, it portends a poor clinical course, with quantitative analysis revealing a direct correlation between cerebral edema and poor outcome, including mortality and cognitive deficits. ⋯ At a molecular level, several culprits have been identified, including aquaporin-4, matrix metalloproteinase-9, SUR1-TRPM4 cation channels, vascular endothelial growth factor, bradykinin, and others. Here, we review these cellular and molecular mechanisms of global cerebral edema formation in aSAH. Given the importance of edema to the outcome of patients with aSAH and its status as a highly modifiable pathological process, a better understanding of cerebral edema in aSAH promises to hasten the development of medical therapies to improve outcomes in this frequently devastating disease.
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Multicenter Study
Attitudes of Patients and Relatives Toward Disability and Treatment in Malignant MCA Infarction.
Attitudes among patients and relatives toward the degree of acceptable disability and the importance of aphasia are critical in deciding on decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMI). However, most MMI patients are not able to communicate their will. Furthermore, attitudes of healthy individuals and relatives may not correspond to those of stroke patients. ⋯ In Germany, there is substantial heterogeneity in patients and relatives regarding acceptable disability, aphasia, and treatment decision in the hypothetical case of MMI. Relatives significantly overestimate the degree of disability that is acceptable to stroke patients. Further studies are warranted to determine whether differences in attitudes impact on the decision to undergo DHC.