Neurocritical care
-
Biography Historical Article
Brown-Séquard's Famous Lecture that Gave Him the Eponym (and What Else He Said).
-
The advent of neurotechnologies including advanced functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography to detect states of awareness not detectable by traditional bedside neurobehavioral techniques (i.e., covert consciousness) promises to transform neuroscience research and clinical practice for patients with brain injury. As these interventions progress from research tools into actionable, guideline-endorsed clinical tests, ethical guidance for clinicians on how to responsibly communicate the sensitive results they yield is crucial yet remains underdeveloped. Drawing on insights from empirical and theoretical neuroethics research and our clinical experience with advanced neurotechnologies to detect consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients, we critically evaluate ethical promises and perils associated with disclosing the results of clinical covert consciousness assessments and describe a semistructured approach to responsible data sharing to mitigate potential risks.
-
Postictal encephalopathy is well known after status epilepticus (SE), but its prognostic impact and triggers are unknown. Here, we aimed to establish risk factors for the development of postictal encephalopathy and to study its impact on survival after discharge. ⋯ In this cohort, postictal encephalopathy after SE was common and associated with poor long-term survival. Seizure characteristics were not independently associated with postictal encephalopathy; the underlying etiology, long (high-dose midazolam) sedation, high age, and poor premorbid condition were the major risk factors for its development.
-
Multicenter Study
Enhancing European Management of Analgesia, Sedation, and Delirium: A Multinational, Prospective, Interventional Before-After Trial.
The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of a structured educational intervention on the implementation of guideline-recommended pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) assessment. ⋯ In routine care, many patients were not assessed for PAD. Assessment rates increased significantly 1 year after the intervention. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03553719.
-
The association between the red cell distribution width (RDW) and long-term mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has not been clearly established. ⋯ In patients with ICH, RDW independently predicted long-term mortality. Median RDW levels within the first month after admission were better predictors of long-term mortality compared with RDW levels on admission. Additionally, median RDW-CV showed superior predictive capacity than median RDW-SD for long-term mortality following ICH.