Monitoring brain multiparameters and hypothermia in severe traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Fernando Roberto de Vasconcelos, Almir Ferreira de Andrade, Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira, Wellingson Silva Paiva Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, BrazilWe read with great interest the recent study by Sun et al1 published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Intracranial hypertension (ICH) remains the most common cause of death in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).1 After the trauma, secondary injuries arise due to perfusion and molecular changes that begin after the moment of the trauma resulting from the interaction of intracerebral and extracerebral factors, which add to the neuronal injury. Hypotension, hypoglycemia, hypercapnia, respiratory hypoxia, anemic hypoxia, and electrolyte disturbances are the main factors associated with secondary injury, which can lead to ICH and cerebral hypoxia, thereby worsening the morbidity and death rates associated with brain injury.1,2 In this paper, the authors have discussed the multimodality intracranial monitoring carried out in 62 severe TBI patients, with evidence of hypothermia as a therapeutic strategy to adequately control intracranial pressure (ICP).View the original paper by Sun and colleagues.

Keywords

• traumatic brain injury
• cerebral perfusion pressure
• brain tissue partial pressure of oxygen