Neurocritical care
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The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of intranasal midazolam (in-MDZ) administration for antiseizure treatment in adults. ⋯ Administration of in-MDZ seems promising for the treatment of prolonged epileptic seizures and seizure clusters in adults. Limited evidence suggests that intranasal administration is safe. Further research is warranted because of the heterogeneity of cohorts, the variation in dosages, and the lack of uniformity in defining successful seizure termination.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Quetiapine Versus Haloperidol in the Management of Hyperactive Delirium: Randomized Controlled Trial.
In the population of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), most studies compared the use of atypical antipsychotics, such as quetiapine, with the use of traditional haloperidol in patients with delirium of various forms and etiologies. The role of such agents in patients with hyperactive delirium is not fully understood. This study compares the effectiveness of quetiapine with haloperidol in treating the hyperactive form of delirium in terms of their effects on the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98), length of stay in the ICU, and mortality in critically ill patients. ⋯ Quetiapine may be equally as effective as haloperidol in treating the symptoms of hyperactive delirium in critically ill patients, with no mortality benefit.
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Multicenter Study
Mortality, Functional Status, and Quality of Life after 5 Years of Patients Admitted to Critical Care for Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.
The objective of this study was to assess long-term outcome in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage admitted to the intensive care unit. ⋯ In patients admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, hospital mortality up to 90 days after admission is very high. Between 90 days and 5 years after admission, mortality is not high. A large percentage of survivors presented a significant deficit in quality of life and functional status, although with progressive improvement over time. Five years after the hemorrhagic stroke, a survival of 30% was observed, with a good functional status seen in 20% of patients who had been admitted to the hospital.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Analysis of Cerebral Spinal Fluid Drainage and Intracranial Pressure Peaks in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
After aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) due to disrupted cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics is a critical concern. An external ventricular drainage (EVD) is commonly employed for management; however, optimal strategies remain debated. The randomized controlled Earlydrain trial showed that an additional prophylactic lumbar drainage (LD) after aneurysm treatment improves neurological outcome. We performed a post hoc investigation on the impact of drainage volumes and critical ICP values on patient outcomes after aSAH. ⋯ ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01258257.
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The use of continuous positive airway pressure has been shown to improve the tolerance of the apnea test, a critical component of brain death evaluation. The ability to deactivate the apnea backup setting has made apnea testing possible using several conventional mechanical ventilators. Our goal was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of apnea testing performed on mechanical ventilation, compared with the oxygen insufflation technique, for the determination of brain death. ⋯ Apnea testing on conventional mechanical ventilation is feasible and offers several potential advantages over other techniques.