Effects of mild hypothermia on patients with lower intracranial pressure following severe brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on severe brain-injured patients whose intracranial pressure (ICP) could be maintained below 25 mm Hg. METHODS: Forty severe brain-injured patients with ICP below 25 mm Hg were divided randomly into one treatment group (n=20, mild hypothermia therapy) and one control group (n=20, normothermia therapy) to observe the changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acids (glutamate and glycine) and cytokines (interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the daily changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acid and cytokines between two groups. The outcome of two groups had no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Mild hypothermia has no additional beneficial effects on severe brain-injured patients compared with normothermia therapy if ICP can be maintained below 25 mm Hg by using conventional therapy.