Barbiturate infusion for intractable intracranial hypertension and its effect on brain oxygenation

Post-extubation dysphagia in pediatric trauma patients: a single-center case-series study

We aimed to investigate whether ventilator support time influences the occurrence of dysphagia in pediatric trauma patients. This case-series study was conducted in a single pediatric emergency and critical care center from April 2012 to March 2022. Trauma patients aged < 16 years who underwent tracheal intubation were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of dysphagia within 72 h after extubation, and their data were analyzed. Tracheal intubation was performed in 75 pediatric trauma patients, and 53 of them were included in the analysis. A total of 22 patients had post-extubation dysphagia and head trauma. The dysphagia group tended to have more severe head injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 4 [4-5] vs. 4 [0-4]; p < 0.05), a longer ventilator support time (7 days [4-11] vs. 1 day [1-2.5]; p < 0.05), and a longer length of hospital stay (27 days [18.0-40.3] vs. 11 days [10.0-21.0]; p < 0.05). Severe head trauma and a long duration of tracheal intubation may be risk factors for dysphagia in pediatric trauma patients. Therefore, early recognition of these risk factors could assist in treatment planning for speech-language pathologist intervention and nutritional routes of administration.

The Role of Brain Tissue Oxygenation Monitoring in the Management of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Scoping Review

Monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2) is an important component of multimodal monitoring in traumatic brain injury. Over recent years, use of PbtO2 monitoring has also increased in patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), particularly in those with delayed cerebral ischemia. The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the current state of the art regarding the use of this invasive neuromonitoring tool in patients with SAH. Our results showed that PbtO2 monitoring is a safe and reliable method to assess regional cerebral tissue oxygenation and that PbtO2 represents the oxygen available in the brain interstitial space for aerobic energy production (i.e., the product of cerebral blood flow and the arterio-venous oxygen tension difference). The PbtO2 probe should be placed in the area at risk of ischemia (i.e., in the vascular territory in which cerebral vasospasm is expected to occur). The most widely used PbtO2 threshold to define brain tissue hypoxia and initiate specific treatment is between 15 and 20 mm Hg. PbtO2 values can help identify the need for or the effects of various therapies, such as hyperventilation, hyperoxia, induced hypothermia, induced hypertension, red blood cell transfusion, osmotic therapy, and decompressive craniectomy. Finally, a low PbtO2 value is associated with a worse prognosis, and an increase of the PbtO2 value in response to treatment is a marker of good outcome.

Current status and outlook for the management of intracranial hypertension after traumatic brain injury: decompressive craniectomy, therapeutic hypothermia, and barbiturates

INTRODUCTION

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) has been associated with poor neurological outcomes and increased mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traditionally, ICP-lowering therapies are administered using an escalating approach, with more aggressive options reserved for patients showing no response to first-tier interventions, or with refractory intracranial hypertension.

DEVELOPMENT

The therapeutic value and the appropriate timing for the use of rescue treatments for intracranial hypertension have been a subject of constant debate in literature. In this review, we discuss the main management options for refractory intracranial hypertension after severe TBI in adults. We intend to conduct an in-depth revision of the most representative randomised controlled trials on the different rescue treatments, including decompressive craniectomy, therapeutic hypothermia, and barbiturates. We also discuss future perspectives for these management options.

CONCLUSIONS

The available evidence appears to show that mortality can be reduced when rescue interventions are used as last-tier therapy; however, this benefit comes at the cost of severe disability. The decision of whether to perform these interventions should always be patient-centred and made on an individual basis. The development and integration of different physiological variables through multimodality monitoring is of the utmost importance to provide more robust prognostic information to patients facing these challenging decisions.

Early use of barbiturates is associated with increased mortality in traumatic brain injury patients from a propensity score-based analysis of a prospective cohort

Barbiturates are proposed as a second/third line treatment for intracranial hypertension in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, but the literature remains uncertain regarding their benefit/risk balance. We aimed to evaluate the impact of barbiturates therapy in TBI patients with early intracranial hypertension on the intensive care unit (ICU) survival, the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and the patient’s functional status at three months. We used the French AtlanREA prospective cohort of trauma patients. Using a propensity score-based methodology (inverse probability of treatment weighting), we compared patients having received barbiturates within the first 24 hours of admission (barbiturates group) and those who did not (control group). We used cause-specific Cox models for ICU survival and risk of VAP, and logistic regression for the 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) evaluation. Among the 1396 patients with severe trauma, 383 had intracranial hypertension on admission and were analyzed. Among them, 96 (25.1%) received barbiturates. The early use of barbiturates was significantly associated with increased ICU mortality (HR = 1.85, 95%CI 1.03–3.33). However, barbiturates treatment was not significantly associated with VAP (HR = 1.02, 95%CI 0.75–1.41) or 3-month GOS (OR = 1.67, 95%CI 0.84–3.33). Regarding the absence of relevant clinical trials, our results suggest that each early prescription of barbiturates requires a careful assessment of the benefit/risk ratio.

Anesthesia Considerations in Neurological Emergencies

Airway obstruction and respiratory failure are common complications of neurological emergencies. Anesthesia is often employed for airway management, surgical and endovascular interventions or in the intensive care units in patients with altered mental status or those requiring burst suppression. This article provides a summary of the unique airway management and anesthesia considerations and controversies for neurologic emergencies in general, as well as for specific commonly encountered conditions: elevated intracranial pressure, neuromuscular respiratory failure, acute ischemic stroke, and acute cervical spinal cord injury.

Mismatch between Tissue Partial Oxygen Pressure and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Neuromonitoring of Tissue Respiration in Acute Brain Trauma: The Rationale for Implementing a Multimodal Monitoring Strategy

The brain tissue partial oxygen pressure (PbtO₂) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) neuromonitoring are frequently compared in the management of acute moderate and severe traumatic brain injury patients; however, the relationship between their respective output parameters flows from the complex pathogenesis of tissue respiration after brain trauma. NIRS neuromonitoring overcomes certain limitations related to the heterogeneity of the pathology across the brain that cannot be adequately addressed by local-sample invasive neuromonitoring (e.g., PbtO₂ neuromonitoring, microdialysis), and it allows clinicians to assess parameters that cannot otherwise be scanned. The anatomical co-registration of an NIRS signal with axial imaging (e.g., computerized tomography scan) enhances the optical signal, which can be changed by the anatomy of the lesions and the significance of the radiological assessment. These arguments led us to conclude that rather than aiming to substitute PbtO₂ with tissue saturation, multiple types of NIRS should be included via multimodal systemic- and neuro-monitoring, whose values then are incorporated into biosignatures linked to patient status and prognosis. Discussion on the abnormalities in tissue respiration due to brain trauma and how they affect the PbtO₂ and NIRS neuromonitoring is given.

Current status and outlook for the management of intracranial hypertension after traumatic brain injury: decompressive craniectomy, therapeutic hypothermia, and barbiturates

INTRODUCTION

Increased intracranial pressure has been associated with poor neurological outcomes and increased mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Traditionally, intracranial pressure-lowering therapies are administered using an escalating approach, with more aggressive options reserved for patients showing no response to first-tier interventions, or with refractory intracranial hypertension.

DEVELOPMENT

The therapeutic value and the appropriate timing for the use of rescue treatments for intracranial hypertension have been a subject of constant debate in literature. In this review, we discuss the main management options for refractory intracranial hypertension after severe traumatic brain injury in adults. We intend to conduct an in-depth revision of the most representative randomised controlled trials on the different rescue treatments, including decompressive craniectomy, therapeutic hypothermia, and barbiturates. We also discuss future perspectives for these management options.

CONCLUSIONS

The available evidence appears to show that mortality can be reduced when rescue interventions are used as last-tier therapy; however, this benefit comes at the cost of severe disability. The decision of whether to perform these interventions should always be patient-centred and made on an individual basis. The development and integration of different physiological variables through multimodality monitoring is of the utmost importance to provide more robust prognostic information to patients facing these challenging decisions.

Emergency Neurological Life Support: Airway, Ventilation, and Sedation

Airway management and ventilation are central to the resuscitation of the neurologically ill. These patients often have evolving processes that threaten the airway and adequate ventilation. Furthermore, intubation, ventilation, and sedative choices directly affect brain perfusion. Therefore, Airway, Ventilation, and Sedation was chosen as an Emergency Neurological Life Support protocol. Topics include airway management, when and how to intubate with special attention to hemodynamics and preservation of cerebral blood flow, mechanical ventilation settings and the use of sedative agents based on the patient's neurological status.

Emergency Neurological Life Support: Airway, Ventilation, and Sedation

Airway management and ventilation are central to the resuscitation of the neurologically ill. These patients often have evolving processes that threaten the airway and adequate ventilation. Furthermore, intubation, ventilation, and sedative choices directly affect brain perfusion. Therefore, airway, ventilation, and sedation was chosen as an emergency neurological life support protocol. Topics include airway management, when and how to intubate with special attention to hemodynamics and preservation of cerebral blood flow, mechanical ventilation settings, and the use of sedative agents based on the patient's neurological status.

Pharmacologic Neuroprotection for Functional Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Literature

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The deleterious effects of secondary brain injury may be attenuated by early pharmacological therapy in the emergency room and intensive care unit (ICU). Current medical management of acute TBI is primarily supportive, aimed at reducing intracranial pressure (ICP) and optimizing cerebral perfusion. There are no pharmacological therapies to date that have been unequivocally demonstrated to improve neurological outcomes after TBI.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the recent clinical studies from January 2013 through November 2015 that investigated neuroprotective functional outcomes of pharmacological agents after TBI.

METHODS

The following databases were searched for relevant studies: MEDLINE (OvidSP January Week 1, 2013-November Week 2 2015), Embase (OvidSP 2013 January 1-2015 November 24), and the unindexed material in PubMed (National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health [NLM/NIH]). This systematic review included only full-length clinical studies and case series that included at least five patients and were published in the English language. Only studies that examined functional clinical outcomes were included.

RESULTS

Twenty-five of 527 studies met our inclusion criteria, which investigated 15 independent pharmacological therapies. Eight of these therapies demonstrated possible neuroprotective properties and improved functional outcomes, of which five were investigated with randomized clinical trials: statins, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), Enzogenol, Cerebrolysin, and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (VAS203). Three pharmacological agents did not demonstrate neuroprotective effects, and four agents had mixed results.

CONCLUSIONS

While there is currently no single pharmacological therapy that will unequivocally improve clinical outcomes after TBI, several agents have demonstrated promising clinical benefits for specific TBI patients and should be investigated further.

Neuroprotective measures in children with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children. Severe TBI is a leading cause of death and often leads to life changing disabilities in survivors. The modern management of severe TBI in children on intensive care unit focuses on preventing secondary brain injury to improve outcome. Standard neuroprotective measures are based on management of intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) to optimize the cerebral blood flow and oxygenation, with the intention to avoid and minimise secondary brain injury. In this article, we review the current trends in management of severe TBI in children, detailing the general and specific measures followed to achieve the desired ICP and CPP goals. We discuss the often limited evidence for these therapeutic interventions in children, extrapolation of data from adults, and current recommendation from paediatric guidelines. We also review the recent advances in understanding the intracranial physiology and neuroprotective therapies, the current research focus on advanced and multi-modal neuromonitoring, and potential new therapeutic and prognostic targets.

Monitoring of brain and systemic oxygenation in neurocritical care patients

Maintenance of adequate oxygenation is a mainstay of intensive care, however, recommendations on the safety, accuracy, and the potential clinical utility of invasive and non-invasive tools to monitor brain and systemic oxygenation in neurocritical care are lacking. A literature search was conducted for English language articles describing bedside brain and systemic oxygen monitoring in neurocritical care patients from 1980 to August 2013. Imaging techniques e.g., PET are not considered. A total of 281 studies were included, the majority described patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). All tools for oxygen monitoring are safe. Parenchymal brain oxygen (PbtO2) monitoring is accurate to detect brain hypoxia, and it is recommended to titrate individual targets of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), ventilator parameters (PaCO2, PaO2), and transfusion, and to manage intracranial hypertension, in combination with ICP monitoring. SjvO2 is less accurate than PbtO2. Given limited data, NIRS is not recommended at present for adult patients who require neurocritical care. Systemic monitoring of oxygen (PaO2, SaO2, SpO2) and CO2 (PaCO2, end-tidal CO2) is recommended in patients who require neurocritical care.

Brain Tissue Oxygen Monitoring in Neurocritical Care

Brain injury results from ischemia, tissue hypoxia, and a cascade of secondary events. The cornerstone of neurocritical care management is optimization and maintenance of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen and substrate delivery to prevent or attenuate this secondary damage. New techniques for monitoring brain tissue oxygen tension (PtiO2) are now available. Brain PtiO2 reflects both oxygen delivery and consumption. Brain hypoxia (low brain PtiO2) has been associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain injury. Strategies to improve brain PtiO2 have focused mainly on increasing oxygen delivery either by increasing CBF or by increasing arterial oxygen content. The results of nonrandomized studies comparing brain PtiO2-guided therapy with intracranial pressure/cerebral perfusion pressure-guided therapy, while promising, have been mixed. More studies are needed including prospective, randomized controlled trials to assess the true value of this approach. The following is a review of the physiology of brain tissue oxygenation, the effect of brain hypoxia on outcome, strategies to increase oxygen delivery, and outcome studies of brain PtiO2-guided therapy in neurocritical care.

Role of barbiturate coma in the management of focally induced, severe cerebral edema in children

Barbiturates are widely used in the management of high intracranial pressure (ICP) caused by diffuse brain swelling. The cardiovascular, renal, and immunological side effects of these drugs limit them to last-line therapy. There are few published data regarding the role of barbiturates in focal brain lesions causing refractory elevated ICP and intraoperative brain swelling in the pediatric population. The authors here present 3 cases of nontraumatic, focally induced, refractory intracranial hypertension due to 2 tumors and 1 arteriovenous malformation, in which barbiturate therapy was used successfully to control elevated ICP. They focus on cardiovascular, renal, and immune function during the course of pentobarbital therapy. They also discuss the role of pentobarbital-induced hypothermia. From this short case series, they demonstrate that barbiturates in conjunction with standard medical therapy can be used to safely reduce postoperative refractory intracranial hypertension and intraoperative brain swelling in children with focal brain lesions.

Parenchymal brain oxygen monitoring in the neurocritical care unit

Patients admitted to the neurocritical care unit (NCCU) often have serious conditions that can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pharmacologic agents or neuroprotectants have disappointed in the clinical environment. Current NCCU management therefore is directed toward identification, prevention, and treatment of secondary cerebral insults that evolve over time and are known to aggravate outcome. This strategy is based on a variety of monitoring techniques including use of intraparenchymal monitors. This article reviews parenchymal brain oxygen monitors, including the available technologies, practical aspects of use, the physiologic rationale behind their use, and patient management based on brain oxygen.

Traumatic brain injury: pathophysiology, monitoring, and mechanism-based care

Traumatic brain injury, which may be blunt or penetrating, begins altering intracranial physiology at the moment of impact as primary brain trauma. This article differentiates blunt versus penetrating brain trauma, primary versus secondary brain injury, and subsequent intracranial pathophysiology. Discussion and case study correlate intracranial pathophysiology and multisystem influences on evolving brain injury with mechanism-based interventions to modulate brain components (brain, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes). The discussion also explores the effects of controlled ventilation, cardiopulmonary physiology, and global physiologic state on secondary injury, control of intracranial pressure, and recovery.

Emergency neurological life support: airway, ventilation, and sedation

Airway management is central to the resuscitation of the neurologically ill. These patients often have evolving processes that threaten the airway and adequate ventilation. Therefore, airway, ventilation, and sedation were chosen as an Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) protocol. Reviewed topics include airway management; the decision to intubate; when and how to intubate with attention to cardiovascular status; mechanical ventilation settings; and the use of sedation, including how to select sedative agents based on the patient's neurological status.

Controversies in the management of adults with severe traumatic brain injury

Despite progress in the management of adults with severe traumatic brain injury, several controversies persist. Among the unresolved issues of greatest concern to neurocritical care clinicians and scientists are the following: (1) the best use of technological advances and the data obtained from multimodality monitoring; (2) the use of mannitol and hypertonic saline in the management of increased intracranial pressure; (3) the use of decompressive craniectomy and barbiturate coma in refractory increased intracranial pressure; (4) therapeutic hypothermia as a neuroprotectant; (5) anemia and the role of blood transfusion; and (6) venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in severe traumatic brain injury. Each of these strategies for managing severe traumatic brain injury, including the postulated mechanism(s) of action and beneficial effects of each intervention, adverse effects, the state of the science, and critical care nursing implications, is discussed.

Continuous brain tissue oxygenation monitoring in the management of pediatric stroke

BACKGROUND

Direct invasive monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO(2)) has been routinely utilized to predict cerebral ischemia and to prevent secondary injury in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The safety and utility of these devices in the pediatric population have been examined in a few small studies. No studies, however, have examined the use of PbtO(2) monitoring in stroke patients.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of the first two consecutive, critically ill pediatric patients in the pediatric intensive care unit requiring brain tissue oxygen monitoring for newly diagnosed cerebral ischemia. ICP, CPP, PbtO(2), SaO(2), BP, and RR were all continually monitored during their care and were retrospectively collected and reviewed.

RESULTS

We present two pediatric stroke patients managed in a critical care setting with PbtO(2) monitoring in addition to ICP, MAP, CPP, and SaO(2). Both patients had multiple events of low brain tissue oxygen (PbtO(2) <20 torr), independent of abnormal values in other monitoring parameters, which required physician intervention. No new ischemic damage occurred after PbtO(2) monitoring began in either patient.

CONCLUSIONS

There is currently inadequate data to support the application of PbtO(2) monitoring in children with stroke to prevent progressive ischemia and to improve outcome. However, the positive results for these two patients support the need for further study in this area.

Medical management of compromised brain oxygen in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

Brain tissue oxygen (PbtO(2)) monitoring is used in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. How brain reduced PbtO(2) should be treated and its response to treatment is not clearly defined. We examined which medical therapies restore normal PbtO(2) in TBI patients.

METHODS

Forty-nine (mean age 40 ± 19 years) patients with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] ≤ 8) admitted to a University-affiliated, Level I trauma center who had at least one episode of compromised brain oxygen (PbtO(2) <25 mmHg for >10 min), were retrospectively identified from a prospective observational cohort study. Intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and PbtO(2) were monitored continuously. Episodes of compromised PbtO(2) and brain hypoxia (PbtO(2) <15 mmHg for >10 min) and the medical interventions that improved PbtO(2) were identified.

RESULTS

Five hundred and sixty-four episodes of compromised PbtO2 were identified from 260 days of PbtO2 monitoring. Medical management used in a "cause-directed" manner successfully reversed 72% of the episodes of compromised PbtO(2), defined as restoration of a "normal" PbtO(2) (i.e. ≥ 25 mmHg). Ventilator manipulation, CPP augmentation, and sedation were the most frequent interventions. Increasing FiO(2) restored PbtO(2) 80% of the time. CPP augmentation and sedation were effective in 73 and 66% of episodes of compromised brain oxygen, respectively. ICP reduction using mannitol was effective in 73% of treated episodes, though was used only when PbtO(2) was compromised in the setting of elevated ICP. Successful medical treatment of brain hypoxia was associated with decreased mortality. Survivors (n = 38) had a 71% rate of response to treatment and non-survivors (n = 11) had a 44% rate of response (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Reduced PbtO(2) may occur in TBI patients despite efforts to maintain CPP. Medical interventions other than those to treat ICP and CPP can improve PbtO(2). This may increase the number of therapies for severe TBI in the ICU.

Response to intracranial hypertension treatment as a predictor of death in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

Object

The normalization of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is assumed to limit secondary brain injury and improve outcome. Despite evidence-based recommendations for monitoring and treatment of elevated ICP, there are few studies that show an association between response to ICP-directed therapeutic regimens and adjusted mortality rate. This study utilizes a large prospective database to examine the effect of response to ICP-lowering therapy on risk of death within the first 2 weeks of injury in patients who sustained TBI and are older than 16 years.

Methods

The current study is based on 1426 patients with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score < 9) of whom 388 were treated for elevated ICP (> 25 mm Hg) between 2000 and 2008 at 22 trauma centers enrolled in a New York State quality improvement program. This prospectively collected database also contains information including age, admission GCS score, pupillary status, CT scanning parameters, and hypotension, which are all known early prognostic indicators of death. Treatment of elevated ICP consisted of administration of mannitol, hypertonic saline, barbiturates, and/or drainage of CSF or decompressive craniectomy. The factors predicting ICP response to treatment and predicting death at 2 weeks were evaluated using logistic regression analyses.

Results

Increasing age and fewer hours of elevated ICP on Day 1 were found to be significant predictors (p = 0.001 and 0.0003, respectively) of a positive response to treatment. Response to ICP-lowering therapy (p = 0.03), younger age (p < 0.0001), fewer hours of elevated ICP (p < 0.0001), and absence of arterial hypotension on Day 1 (p = 0.001) significantly predicted reduced risk of death.

Conclusions

Patients who responded to ICP-lowering treatment had a 64% lower risk of death at 2 weeks than those who did not respond after adjusting for factors that independently predict risk of death.

Simultaneous absolute measures of glabrous skin hemodynamic and light-scattering change in response to formalin injection in rats

Subcutaneous injection of formalin is a well-known model to study the nature of inflammatory pain. One of the cardinal signs of inflammation is redness, as a result of increased blood perfusion. We used an optical technology, light reflectance spectroscopy, to noninvasively obtain absolute measures of cutaneous hemodynamic components, including the concentrations of oxy- ([HbO]), deoxy- ([Hb]), total-hemoglobin ([HbT]), oxygen saturation (SO(2)), and the reduced light-scattering coefficient (μs'). The objective is to assess the effect of formalin-induced skin inflammation on the aforementioned parameters. Six rats were injected with formalin (50 μl, 3%) into left hind paw under pentobarbital anesthesia. Our results indicate prolonged increases in [HbO], [HbT], and SO(2) post injection only in the ipsilateral side. No statistically significant changes in [Hb] and μ(s)' occurred in either side. The arterial blood influx tends to be the major attribute of local hyperemia during inflammation. Thereby, [HbO] appears to be superior to [Hb] in measuring inflammation. In conclusion, the needle-probe-based light reflectance can be a feasible means to obtaining absolute measures of skin hemodynamic and light-scattering parameters when studying inflammatory pain.

Management of intracranial pressure

Although intracranial hypertension may arise from diverse pathology, several basic principles remain paramount to understanding its dynamics; however, the management of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) may be very complex. Initial management of common ICP exacerbants is important, such as addressing venous outflow obstruction with upright midline head positioning and treating agitation and pain with sedation and analgesia. Surgical decompression of mass effect may rapidly improve ICP elevation, but the impact on outcome is unclear. Considerable effort has been put forth to understand the roles of multimodal intensive care monitoring, osmolar therapy, cerebral metabolic suppression, and temperature augmentation in the advanced management of elevated ICP. Establishing a protocol-driven approach to the management of ICP enables the rapid bedside assessment of multiple physiologic variables to implement appropriate treatments, which limit the risk of developing secondary brain injury.

Emergency treatment options for pediatric traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a leading killer of children and is a major public health problem around the world. Using general principles of neurocritical care, various treatment strategies have been developed to attempt to restore homeostasis to the brain and allow brain healing, including mechanical factors, cerebrospinal fluid diversion, hyperventilation, hyperosmolar therapies, barbiturates and hypothermia. Careful application of these therapies, normally in a step-wise fashion as intracranial injuries evolve, is necessary in order to attain maximal neurological outcome for these children. It is hopeful that new therapies, such as early hypothermia or others currently in preclinical trials, will ultimately improve outcome and quality of life for children after traumatic brain injury.