Brain Multimodal Monitoring in Severe Acute Brain Injury: Is It Relevant to Patient Outcome and Mortality?

INTRODUCTION: Advanced multimodal monitoring (MMM) of the brain is recommended as a tool to manage severe acute brain injury in intensive care units (ICUs) and prevent secondary lesions. The aim of this study was to determine if MMM has implications for patient outcome and mortality. METHODS: We analyzed data on 389 patients admitted with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) to two general ICUs and one neurocritical care ICU (NCCU) between March 2014 and October 2016, and their subsequent outcomes. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 259 males and 130 females. Group 1, which comprised 69 patients with MMM admitted to the NCCU, was compared with group 2, which comprised patients managed without MMM. With the exceptions of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, there were no differences between the two groups. Group 1 had significantly better outcomes at ICU discharge, at 28 days, and at 3 months, and also had a lower mortality rate (P < 0.05). When outcomes were adjusted for SAPS II scores, patients who had MMM had better outcomes (odds ratios 0.215 at ICU discharge, 0.234 at 28 days, 0.338 at 3 months, and 0.474 at 6 months) but no difference in mortality. CONCLUSION: Use of MMM in patients with SAH or TBI is associated with better outcomes and should be considered in the management of these patients.

Neurocritical care management supported by multimodal brain monitoring after acute brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between different intensive care units and levels of brain monitoring with outcomes in acute brain injury. METHODS: Patients with traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care units were included. Neurocritical care unit management was compared to general intensive care unit management. Patients managed with multimodal brain monitoring and optimal cerebral perfusion pressure were compared with general management patients. A good outcome was defined as a Glasgow outcome scale score of 4 or 5. RESULTS: Among 389 patients, 237 were admitted to the neurocritical care unit, and 152 were admitted to the general intensive care unit. Neurocritical care unit management patients had a lower risk of poor outcome (OR = 0.228). A subgroup of 69 patients with multimodal brain monitoring (G1) was compared with the remaining patients (G2). In the G1 and G2 groups, 59% versus 23% of patients, respectively, had a good outcome at intensive care unit discharge; 64% versus 31% had a good outcome at 28 days; 76% versus 50% had a good outcome at 3 months (p < 0.001); and 77% versus 58% had a good outcome at 6 months (p = 0.005). When outcomes were adjusted by SAPS II severity score, using good outcome as the dependent variable, the results were as follows: for G1 compared to G2, the OR was 4.607 at intensive care unit discharge (p < 0.001), 4.22 at 28 days (p = 0.001), 3.250 at 3 months (p = 0.001) and 2.529 at 6 months (p = 0.006). Patients with optimal cerebral perfusion pressure management (n = 127) had a better outcome at all points of evaluation. Mortality for those patients was significantly lower at 28 days (p = 0.001), 3 months (p < 0.001) and 6 months (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multimodal brain monitoring with autoregulation and neurocritical care unit management were associated with better outcomes and should be considered after severe acute brain injury.

Adult-onset epileptic aphasia.

Aphasia is a language disorder characterised by loss of ability to produce or comprehend written or spoken language. In majority of the cases, it is due to stroke. Aphasia may also present as an ictal or postictal state of temporal or frontal lobe seizures. Nevertheless, its isolated occurrence in individuals without a clear-cut history of seizures raises diagnostic difficulties with important therapeutic implications.A case of epileptic aphasia is reported in which the diagnosis was confirmed by electroencephalogram with a dramatic therapeutic response to an antiepileptic drug.

Neurocritical care management supported by multimodal brain monitoring after acute brain injury / Abordagem de cuidados neurocríticos apoiada por monitorização cerebral multimodal após lesão cerebral aguda

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the association between different intensive care units and levels of brain monitoring with outcomes in acute brain injury. Methods: Patients with traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care units were included. Neurocritical care unit management was compared to general intensive care unit management. Patients managed with multimodal brain monitoring and optimal cerebral perfusion pressure were compared with general management patients. A good outcome was defined as a Glasgow outcome scale score of 4 or 5. Results: Among 389 patients, 237 were admitted to the neurocritical care unit, and 152 were admitted to the general intensive care unit. Neurocritical care unit management patients had a lower risk of poor outcome (OR = 0.228). A subgroup of 69 patients with multimodal brain monitoring (G1) was compared with the remaining patients (G2). In the G1 and G2 groups, 59% versus 23% of patients, respectively, had a good outcome at intensive care unit discharge; 64% versus 31% had a good outcome at 28 days; 76% versus 50% had a good outcome at 3 months (p < 0.001); and 77% versus 58% had a good outcome at 6 months (p = 0.005). When outcomes were adjusted by SAPS II severity score, using good outcome as the dependent variable, the results were as follows: for G1 compared to G2, the OR was 4.607 at intensive care unit discharge (p < 0.001), 4.22 at 28 days (p = 0.001), 3.250 at 3 months (p = 0.001) and 2.529 at 6 months (p = 0.006). Patients with optimal cerebral perfusion pressure management (n = 127) had a better outcome at all points of evaluation. Mortality for those patients was significantly lower at 28 days (p = 0.001), 3 months (p < 0.001) and 6 months (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Multimodal brain monitoring with autoregulation and neurocritical care unit management were associated with better outcomes and should be considered after severe acute brain injury.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a associação entre diferentes tipos de unidades de cuidados intensivos e os níveis de monitorização cerebral com desfechos na lesão cerebral aguda. Métodos: Foram incluídos doentes com traumatismo craniencefálico e hemorragia subaracnoide internados em unidades de cuidados intensivos. A abordagem na unidade de cuidados neurocríticos foi comparada à abordagem na unidade de cuidados intensivos polivalente geral. Os doentes com monitorização cerebral multimodal e pressão de perfusão cerebral ótima foram comparados aos que passaram por tratamento geral. Um bom desfecho foi definido como pontuação de 4 ou 5 na Glasgow outcome scale. Resultados: Dos 389 doentes, 237 foram admitidos na unidade de cuidados neurocríticos e 152 na unidade de cuidados intensivos geral. Doentes com abordagem em unidades de cuidados neurocríticos apresentaram menor risco de um mau desfecho (Odds ratio = 0,228). Um subgrupo de 69 doentes com monitorização cerebral multimodal (G1) foi comparado aos demais doentes (G2). Em G1 e G2, respectivamente, 59% e 23% dos doentes apresentaram bom desfecho na alta da unidade de cuidados intensivos; 64% e 31% apresentaram bom desfecho aos 28 dias; 76% e 50% apresentaram bom desfecho aos 3 meses (p < 0,001); e 77% e 58% apresentaram bom desfecho aos 6 meses (p = 0,005). Quando os desfechos foram ajustados para o escore de gravidade do SAPS II, usando o bom desfecho como variável dependente, os resultados foram os seguintes: para o G1, em comparação ao G2, a odds ratio foi de 4,607 na alta da unidade de cuidados intensivos (p < 0,001), 4,22 aos 28 dias (p = 0,001), 3,250 aos 3 meses (p = 0,001) e 2,529 aos 6 meses (p = 0,006). Os doentes com abordagem da pressão de perfusão cerebral ótima (n = 127) apresentaram melhor desfecho em todos os momentos de avaliação. A mortalidade desses doentes foi significativamente menor aos 28 dias (p = 0,001), aos 3 meses (p < 0,001) e aos 6 meses (p = 0,001). Conclusão: A monitorização cerebral multimodal com autorregulação e abordagem na unidade de cuidados neurocríticos foi associado a melhores desfechos e deve ser levado em consideração após lesão cerebral aguda grave.

Primary intimal sarcoma of the left atrium presenting with constitutional symptoms.

Intimal (spindle-cell) sarcomas are exceptionally rare and are highly aggressive cardiac tumors. The authors describe a case of a 43-year-old female, presenting with a 3-month history of constitutional symptoms with fever, night sweats, anorexia and weight loss, associated with productive cough and pleural effusion that was admitted with clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient developed sudden acute heart failure symptoms during hospitalization, leading to mechanical ventilation. Computed tomography scan with contrast showed a cardiac tumor filling the left atrium causing compression of pulmonary veins. Surgical resection was performed and histologic examination revealed an intimal sarcoma. Although commenced on adjuvant chemotherapy, local tumor recurrence occurred with pericardium invasion. The patient died within 4 months of initial diagnosis. This report aims to describe an unusual presentation of this rare disease entity, and to discuss its highly aggressive clinical course.