Neurocritical care
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Bibliometric analyses may indicate the most active journals, authors, countries, institutions and specialties by evaluating the most cited articles in a given research field. To the authors' knowledge, there is no bibliometric analysis regarding neurocritical care research. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze and to provide a scope of the current scientific production in this area. ⋯ To the authors' knowledge, this is the first bibliometric analysis regarding neurocritical care research. Our findings suggest that the neurocritical care research field is more prominent in North America and Europe, more frequently published in specific critical care journals and after 1994. The most discussed topic was related to treatment and/or management within neurocritical care.
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Fever is an important determinant of prognosis following acute brain injury. Current non-pharmacologic techniques to reduce fever are limited and induce a shivering response. We investigated the safety and efficacy of a novel transnasal unidirectional high flow air device in reducing core body temperature in the neurocritical care unit (NCCU) setting. ⋯ High flow transnasal air in a unidirectional fashion lowers core body temperature in febrile patients in the NCCU setting. No adverse events were seen, and the process showed no signs of shivering or any other serious side effects during short-term exposure. This pilot study should inform further investigation.
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Case Reports
Multimodal Regional Brain Monitoring of Tissue Ischemia in Severe Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis.
Comatose critically ill patients with severe diffuse cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) are at high risk of secondary hypoxic/ischemic insults, which may considerably worsen neurological recovery. Multimodal brain monitoring (MBM) may therefore improve patient care in this setting, yet no data are available in the literature. ⋯ This study illustrates the potential utility of continuous bedside MBM in patients with coma after severe brain injury, irrespective of the primary acute cerebral condition. Despite adequate ICP and PbtO2 control, the presence of CMD signs of regional brain cell ischemia triggered emergent EMT to treat CVT, which was associated with a significant and clinically relevant improvement of intracerebral physiology.
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Observational Study
Protocolized Brain Oxygen Optimization in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Brain tissue hypoxia (PbtO2 < 20 mmHg) is common after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and associated with poor outcome. Recent data suggest that brain oxygen optimization is feasible and reduces the time spent with PbtO2 < 20 mmHg from 45 to 16% in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Here, we intended to quantify the brain tissue hypoxia burden despite implementation of a protocolized treatment approach in poor-grade SAH patients and to identify the simultaneous occurrence of pathologic values potentially amenable to treatment. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that brain tissue hypoxia remains common despite implementation of a PbtO2-targeted therapy in poor-grade SAH patients, suggesting room for further optimization.
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Observational Study
Early Transcranial Doppler Evaluation of Cerebral Autoregulation Independently Predicts Functional Outcome After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Cerebral autoregulation (CA) impairment after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been associated with delayed cerebral ischemia and an unfavorable outcome. We investigated whether the early transient hyperemic response test (THRT), a transcranial Doppler (TCD)-based CA evaluation method, can predict functional outcome 6 months after aneurysmal SAH. ⋯ Early CA impairment detected by TCD and admission APACHE II physiological score independently predicted an unfavorable outcome after SAH.