Neurocritical care
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Limited data exist regarding the optimal clinical trial design for studies involving persons with disorders of consciousness (DoC), and only a few therapies have been tested in high-quality clinical trials. To address this, the Curing Coma Campaign Clinical Trial Working Group performed a gap analysis on the current state of clinical trials in DoC to identify the optimal clinical design for studies involving persons with DoC. ⋯ Conduct of trials in patients with DoC should make use of master protocols and adaptive design and establish international registries incorporating standardized assessment tools. This will allow the establishment of evidence-based practice recommendations and decrease variations in care.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Derivation of Coagulation Phenotypes and the Association with Prognosis in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cluster Analysis of Nationwide Multicenter Study.
The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of traumatic coagulopathy during traumatic brain injury is not well understood, and the appropriate treatment strategy for this condition has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate the coagulation phenotypes and their effect on prognosis in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury. ⋯ This multicenter, observational study identified five different coagulation phenotypes of traumatic brain injury and showed associations of these phenotypes with in-hospital mortality.
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Review
Pharmacological Prevention of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Causes of morbidity and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) include early brain injury and delayed neurologic deterioration, which may result from delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Complex pathophysiological mechanisms underlie DCI, which often includes angiographic vasospasm (aVSP) of cerebral arteries. ⋯ We provide a brief overview of agents currently being studied for prevention of aVSP and DCI after aSAH. Future studies may need to identify subpopulations of patients who can benefit from these drugs and perhaps redefine acceptable outcomes to demonstrate impact.