Neurocritical care
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Consensus on appropriate outcome measures to use in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) research has not been established, although the transition toward a core outcome set (COS) would provide significant benefits. To inform COS development, we conducted a systematic review to identify outcome measures included in reports of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of interventions in patients with aSAH. Ovid Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL were searched. ⋯ Definitions and reporting of vasospasm, delayed cerebral ischemia and imaging modality results were highly variable. The marked heterogeneity of outcomes in reports of RCTs supports the development of a core outcome set for aSAH trials. Our study has identified a wide range of outcomes for potential inclusion in a future aSAH COS.
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A number of neurologic disorders can cause cardiac dysfunction by involving the conductive system and contractile apparatus of the heart. This is especially prominent in the neurocritical care setting where the spectrum of cardiac dysfunction due to acute neurologic injury ranges from trivial and isolated electrocardiographic changes to malignant arrhythmias and sudden death (Table 1). The mechanism of these cardiac complications is complex and not fully understood. ⋯ However, certain details of clinical features and their course combined with location of primary neurologic lesion on neuroimaging and data obtained from laboratory investigations can be of great value to develop a strategy to appropriately manage these patients and to prevent adverse outcome from these cardiac complications. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction due to catastrophic neurologic conditions or due to stress of critical illness. We also address various clinical syndromes of cardiac dysfunction that occur as a result of the neurologic illness and in turn may complicate the course of the primary neurologic condition.
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The goal for the long-term therapies (LTT) working group (WG) of the Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm (UIA) and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) common data elements (CDEs) was to develop a comprehensive set of CDEs, data definitions, case report forms, and guidelines for use in UIA and SAH LTT clinical research, as part of a new joint effort between the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Library of Medicine of the US National Institutes of Health. These UIA and SAH CDEs will join other neurological disease-specific CDEs already developed and available for use by research investigators. ⋯ Noting gaps in the literature regarding medication and rehabilitation parameters in UIA and SAH clinical studies, the current CDE recommendations aim to arouse interest to explore the impact of medication and rehabilitation treatments and therapies and encourage the convergence of LTT clinical study parameters to develop a harmonized standard.
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Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) markers are increasingly used for predicting hematoma expansion. The aim of our study was to investigate the predictive value of expansion-prone hematoma in predicting hematoma expansion and outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ⋯ Expansion-prone hematoma seems to be a better predictor than any single noncontrast CT marker for predicting hematoma expansion and poor outcome. Considering the high risk of hematoma expansion in these patients, expansion-prone hematoma may be a potential therapeutic target for anti-expansion treatment in future clinical studies.
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This study applied a new external ventricular catheter, which allows intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) drainage simultaneously, to study cerebral vascular responses during acute CSF drainage. ⋯ This study demonstrates that acute CSF drainage reduces mean ICP, and results in vasoconstriction which can be detected through an index, VCI. Cerebral vessels actively respond to ICP changes or cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) changes in a certain range; beyond which, the vessels are insensitive to the changes in ICP and CPP.