Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialEfficacy and safety of local versus general anesthesia in stereotactic biopsies: a matched-pairs cohort study.
Frame-based stereotactic biopsies remain the gold standard for the diagnosis of intracerebral lesions. A major advantage is the ability to perform these procedures under local anesthesia (LA). However, there is no consensus on whether or when to use LA or general anesthesia (GA). It has been postulated that the use of LA may reduce the risk of complications. This study aims to objectify the efficacy and safety of stereotactic biopsies under LA versus GA by analyzing a prospective registry for stereotactic biopsies. ⋯ The type of anesthesia may not interfere with the diagnostic yield in stereotactic biopsies. Patients operated under LA are less likely to suffer pulmonary complications. Furthermore, LA could spare hospital resources in this setting.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2013
Survival advantage and PaO2 threshold in severe traumatic brain injury.
Hypoxemia can adversely affect outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the effect of high PaO2 on TBI outcomes is controversial. The primary aim of this study was to identify the optimal PaO2 range early after severe TBI. ⋯ In this series, a PaO2 threshold between 250 and 486 mm Hg during the first 72 hours after injury was associated with improved all-cause survival in patients with severe TBI, independent of hypocarbia or hypercarbia.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2013
Influence of PEEP on cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular autoregulation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), as part of the treatment in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), may prevent alveolar collapse and maintain oxygenation. PEEP potentially reduces cerebral venous return, increases intracranial blood volume, and may, therefore, affect cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular autoregulation (AR). This study investigates the effect of PEEP on CBF and AR in patients with respiratory failure. ⋯ Surprisingly, AR was impaired in 55% of the patients with ARDS. This should be taken into account when managing cerebral perfusion pressure to avoid cerebral hyperperfusion or hypoperfusion. Increasing PEEP from 9.2 to 14.3 cm H2O had no further clinically relevant effect on AR, independent of preexisting AR impairment.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2013
The role of hypothermia in the regulation of blood glutamate levels in naive rats.
The exact mechanism of hypothermia-induced neuroprotection has not been determined yet; however, we hypothesized that it may be mediated by a blood glutamate-scavenging effect. Here, we examine the effect of hypothermic conditions (mild, moderate, and deep) on blood glutamate levels in naive rats. To identify the mechanism of hypothermia-induced glutamate reduction, we also measured concentrations of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), the primary regulators of glutamate concentration in blood. ⋯ Mild and moderate hypothermia led to a reduction in blood glutamate levels in rats, whereas deep hypothermia was associated with a significant elevation in blood glutamate levels. We further demonstrated an elevation of GOT and GPT levels, supporting their involvement in reducing blood glutamate by the conversion of glutamate to 2-ketoglutarate. We suggest that the neuroprotective properties of hypothermia may be partially because of a blood glutamate-scavenging mechanism.