Decompressive Surgery · discussions · ICP/CPP management · TBI General · Traumatic Brain Injury

RESCUEicp Trial Results Finally Out: Craniectomy in TBI Lowers Mortality, But Survivors Suffer Worse Neurological Outcomes

After completing recruitment of some 408 TBI patients in 2014, the RESCUEicp group finally published the results from this eagerly awaited trial. The article by Hutchinson et al, titled Trial of Decompressive Craniectomy for Traumatic Intracranial Hypertension, was published on September 7th in the New England Journal of Medicine. So let´s go straight to the core: The study… Continue reading RESCUEicp Trial Results Finally Out: Craniectomy in TBI Lowers Mortality, But Survivors Suffer Worse Neurological Outcomes

ICP/CPP management · Neuroprotection · TBI General · Thermoregulation · Traumatic Brain Injury

Eurotherm 3235 Trial

The long-awaited Eurotherm trial was published in NEJM in autumn 2015. The premise of the study was to examine the impact of induced hypothermia on outcomes after traumatic brain injury. In a multi center randomized controlled trial patients were allocated to either therapeutic hypothermia (32-35 degrees) or the control group (standard care, normothermia). The study… Continue reading Eurotherm 3235 Trial

Fluid Management · Haemodynamics · Osmotherapy · Subarachnoid Haemorrhage · TBI General

Critical Care: Fluid Therapy in Neurological Patients

Right off the press: an open access review article from Critical Care on fluid therapy in the neurological patient. It provides a nice synopsis of the different fluid therapy paradigms that are advocated through various guidelines. The review challenges some of the tenets of basic treatment, such as empirical fluid maintenance and the definition of… Continue reading Critical Care: Fluid Therapy in Neurological Patients

Acute Cerebrovascular Conditions · Haemodynamics · ICP/CPP management · Intracerebral Haemorrhage

Best BETs – Safe to Lower BP in ICH?

A quick review published in BMJ´s Best Evidence Topic Reports series, April 2016 by Kapil Mohan Rajwani and Azlisham Mohd Nor. They address the issue of lowering elevated blood pressures in patients with an acute ICH. Is it safe and is there evidence to support active BP-management? And if yes, what´s our target? Targeted blood pressure management in… Continue reading Best BETs – Safe to Lower BP in ICH?

ICP/CPP management · Neuromonitoring · TBI General · Traumatic Brain Injury

BEST TRIP – ICP vs. CT/clinical exam for TBI

Now more than three years old, but still an absolute landmark study and mandatory reading for anyone who cares for neurotrauma patients. Smallish trial but very well carried out and yielding some remarkable findings. A commonly cited article by Randy Chesnut and his group showing equipoise between an ICP-driven protocol and management determined by CT… Continue reading BEST TRIP – ICP vs. CT/clinical exam for TBI

ICP/CPP management · Intracranial Surgery General · Osmotherapy

Cochrane Review – Mannitol vs. HS in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy

Cochrane review from 2014: Mannitol versus hypertonic saline for brain relaxation in patients undergoing craniotomy. By Prabhakar et al.   “From the limited data available on the use of mannitol and hypertonic saline for brain relaxation during craniotomy, it is suggested that hypertonic saline significantly reduces the risk of tense brain during craniotomy”