Der Anaesthesist
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The treatment of cerebral edema has changed during recent years. On the one hand, knowledge of the pathophysiology of brain swelling has expanded; on the other, the analysis of biodata such as intracranial pressure, cerebral blood flow, and blood volume has become routine. The methods of measuring intracranial pressure (nowadays without risk due to the use of microtipepidural probes, e.g. ⋯ Barbiturates are used as sedatives or in a loading dose until burst suppression is seen in the EEG. The risk of hemodynamic side effects such as reduced cardiac output and cerebral perfusion pressure is decreased by measuring pulmonary arterial pressure and the use of catecholamines. The acidotic impairment of cerebral autoregulation can be regulated using THAM (thrometamine) and the response of the vascular system to hypocapnia can be improved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)