Selective Hypothermia in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury remains a significant cause of morbidity and death in the US and worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans, or ∼ 2% of the US population, currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.Current nonsurgical treatment strategies following TBI consist primarily of ICP management and cardiopulmonary support measures. Although resuscitative hypothermia was initially described as early as 1897and has been established as an effective method of neuroprotection in multiple animal studies,clinical trials in humans following TBI have been extremely limited until only recently. The multifaceted benefits offered by hypothermic management in achieving neuroprotection, including reductions in the cerebral metabolic rate, inflammatory response activity,epileptic discharges and the production of reactive oxygen species,have supported its role as a potent therapeutic agent in preventing secondary injury associated with TBI.
- 0 Comment(s)
Your comment