Feasibility, Clinical Potential, and Limitations of Trans-Burr Hole Ultrasound for Postoperative Evaluation of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Prospective Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is commonly managed through burr hole surgery. Routine follow-up using computed tomography (CT) imaging is frequently used at many institutions, contributing to significant radiation exposure. This study evaluates the feasibility, safety, and reliability of trans-burr hole sonography as an alternative postoperative imaging modality, aiming to reduce radiation exposure by decreasing the frequency of CT scans. METHODS: We conducted a prospective pilot study on 20 patients who underwent burr hole surgery for CSDH. Postoperative imaging included both CT and sonographic examinations through the burr hole. We assessed the ability to measure residual subdural fluid thickness under the burr hole sonographically compared with CT, the occurrence of complications, and the potential factors affecting sonographic image quality. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to demonstrate relationships between CT and ultrasound and axial and coronal ultrasound. RESULTS: Sonography through the burr hole was feasible in 73.5% of cases, providing measurements of residual fluid that closely paralleled CT findings, with an average discrepancy of 1.2 mm for axial and 1.4 mm for coronal sonographic views. A strong positive correlation was found between axial and coronal ultrasound (r = 0.955), CT and axial ultrasound (r = 0.936), and CT and coronal ultrasound (r = 0.920). The primary obstacle for sonographic imaging was the presence of air within the burr hole or the subdural space, which typically resolved over time after surgery. CONCLUSION: Trans-burr hole sonography emerges as a promising technique for postoperative monitoring of CSDH, with the potential to safely reduce reliance on CT scans and associated radiation exposure in selected patients. Our results support further investigation into the extended use of sonography during the follow-up phase. Prospective multicenter studies are recommended to establish the method's efficacy and to explore strategies for minimizing air presence postsurgery.

Comparable increase of B-type natriuretic peptide and amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with severe sepsis, septic shock, and acute heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP measurements are used for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (HF). However, the diagnostic value of these tests is unknown under septic conditions. We compared patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and patients with acute HF to unravel the influence of the underlying diagnosis on BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP levels. DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. SETTING: Academic medical intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS: A total of 249 consecutive patients were screened for the diagnosis of sepsis or HF. Sepsis was defined according to published guidelines. HF was diagnosed in the presence of an underlying heart disease and congestive HF, pulmonary edema, or cardiogenic shock. INTERVENTIONS: BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP were measured from blood samples that were drawn daily for routine analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified 24 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and 51 patients with acute HF. At admission, the median (range) BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP levels were 572 (13-1,300) and 6,526 (198-70,000) ng/L in patients with sepsis and 581 (6-1,300) and 4,300 (126-70,000) ng/L in patients with HF. The natriuretic peptide levels increased during the ICU stay, but the differences between the groups were not significant. Nine patients with sepsis and eight patients with HF were monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter. Mean (sd) pulmonary artery occlusion pressure were 16 (4.2) and 22 (5.3) mm Hg (p = .02), and cardiac indexes were 4.6 (2.8) and 2.2 (0.6) L/min/m (p = .03) in patients with sepsis and HF, respectively. Despite these clear hemodynamic differences BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP levels were not statistically different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP values are highly elevated and, despite significant hemodynamic differences, comparable with those found in acute HF patients. It remains to be determined how elevations of natriuretic peptide levels are linked to inflammation and sepsis-associated myocardial dysfunction.

Long-term hypothermia in patients with severe brain edema after poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage: feasibility and intensive care complications.

The purpose was to evaluate the feasibility and intensive care complications of long-term hypothermia (>72 hours) in the treatment of severe brain edema after poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) Hunt and Hess grade 4 to 5. Among 156 patients with SAH, 21 patients were treated with mild hypothermia (33.0 to 34.0 degrees C) combined with barbiturate coma because of severe brain edema and elevated intracranial pressure (>15 mm Hg) after early aneurysm clipping. Hypothermia was sustained for at least 24 hours after maintaining an intracranial pressure of <15 mm Hg. Nine patients were treated for <72 hours (group 1: mean 42.2 hours, range 8-66 hours) and 12 for >72 hours (group 2: mean 153.9 hours, range 78-400 hours). Three patients (14%) died during the hypothermia treatment. Good functional outcome after 3 months (Glasgow Outcome Score 4-5) was achieved in 10 patients (48%). The outcome did not differ between the two groups. All patients developed severe infections. In group 2 the mean value of minimal leukocyte counts during hypothermia was significantly lower (6.9 vs. 11.8 x 109/L; P = 0.001), and thrombocytopenia (<150 x 109/L) occurred significantly more often (48 vs. 33%; P = 0.032). In 48% of patients with poor-grade SAH, good functional outcome was achieved with combined mild hypothermia and barbiturate coma after early aneurysm surgery. This may be a feasible treatment even for longer than 72 hours. All patients developed severe infections as potentially hazardous side effects. To determine whether mild hypothermia alone is effective in the treatment of severe SAH patients, controlled studies to compare the effects of barbiturate coma alone, mild hypothermia alone, and combined barbiturate coma with hypothermia are needed.

Endovascular cooling with heat exchange catheters: a new method to induce and maintain hypothermia.

OBJECTIVE: To test the convenience of a new cooling technique with intravenous heat exchange catheters. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University hospital neurointensive care unit. PATIENTS: Twenty patients with severe subarachnoid hemorrhage Hunt and Hess Grade 3-5 treated with mild hypothermia. INTERVENTIONS: Cooling to reach target body core temperature (33 degrees C-34 degrees C) was induced as quickly as possible in all patients. In the first ten patients (group one) moderate hypothermia was induced and maintained using cooling blankets. In group two, an 8.5F heat exchange catheter was placed central venous and temperature-adjusted normal saline circulated in a closed-loop system entailing two balloons. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A total of 2,007 values of body core temperature (BCT) were registered every hour. Foley temperature catheters were used for monitoring BCT in the bladder. The time to reach the target BCT and the stability of temperature during hypothermia were compared between the two groups. No specific complications associated with the new cooling device were observed. Time to reach the target temperature in group two was significantly shorter than in group one (190+/-110 and 370+/-220 min) ( P=0.023). In group one significantly more temperature values were out of the target range (127 of 792 values; 16.0%) than in group two (62 of 1,215 values; 5.1%) ( P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The new endovascular cooling technique seems to be superior for rapid induction of hypothermia and maintaining a more stable temperature than the cooling techniques using blankets and ice bags.