Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Near-infrared spectroscopy is a technique that can potentially monitor changes in cerebral oxygenation. There are at present limited clinical data regarding the value of this technology in relating neurological outcome to cerebrovascular hemoglobin oxygen saturation (ScO2). This investigation reports changes in ScO2 due to carotid cross-clamping during carotid endarterectomy in awake patients. ⋯ These results suggest that carotid artery occlusion causes a statistically significant but variable decrease in ScO2 in the majority of patients. Data in this investigation provide a range of ScO2 values that was not associated with a clinically detectable neurological dysfunction.
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The needs of and appropriate service provision for patients dying from stroke have received little attention. The quality of care in the last year of life received by a population-based sample of stroke patients is described here, focusing on symptom control, communication with health professionals, and hospital care. ⋯ Improvements in symptom control and psychosocial support for patients who die from stroke are needed, as is better communication between health professionals and patients and their families. Education of doctors and nurses working with stroke patients in the principles of palliative care may help ensure that all dying stroke patients receive high-quality care.
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Hypertensive hypervolemic therapy has been shown to reverse delayed ischemic deficits after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Concern has been raised about systemic complications of therapy, including pulmonary edema and myocardial ischemia, especially when high doses of vasopressors are used. Patients in whom delayed ischemic deficits were treated with hypervolemia and phenylephrine were prospectively evaluated for signs of systemic toxicity. ⋯ Hypertensive hypervolemic therapy with the use of high-dose phenylephrine can be administered with acceptable systemic toxicity, even in patients with previous cardiac disease, provided that close monitoring is performed. To minimize risk, aggressive treatment should probably be reserved for patients with signs of delayed ischemia rather than administered prophylactically.
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We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to monitor the cerebral oxygenation changes during CO2 reactivity tests. ⋯ NIRS signal changes in HbO2, Hb, and total hemoglobin concentration are very sensitive to alterations in EtCO2, which are largely independent of extracranial tissue perfusion. NIRS may be developed as an alternative method for testing cerebrovascular reactivity and may be of particular clinical importance when the ultrasound window is poor.
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To verify whether the monitoring of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) with transcranial near-infrared spectroscopy would successfully reflect changes in intracranial hemodynamics but not changes in extracranial compartment, we measured rSO2 and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) simultaneously in seven patients with cerebral ischemia and five normal volunteers before and after acetazolamide administration. ⋯ It is suggested that monitoring of rSO2 with INVOS-3100 could be a useful indicator in the evaluation of intracranial hemodynamic changes.