Brain Imaging Reveals Hidden Awareness in Critically Ill ICU Patients

This study investigated covert awareness—preserved consciousness without observable behavioral signs—in critically ill patients with acute brain injuries in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Researchers used functional... read more

Nomogram Predicts Mortality Risk for Sepsis Brain Injury

This retrospective cohort study developed and validated a nomogram—a graphic calculating tool—to predict ICU mortality in patients with Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy (SAE), a serious complication where sepsis affects... read more

A Shift in Strategy: Rethinking Blood Transfusions for Brain Injury

Recent clinical trials have challenged the standard practice of using a restrictive Red Blood Cell (RBC) transfusion strategy for critically ill brain-injured patients (ABI). Restrictive Approach is Questioned: The prevailing... read more

The REGULATE Trial: Finding the Best Blood Pressure Drug for Severe Brain Injury

The REGULATE trial is a crucial, large-scale, randomized study designed to determine the optimal vasopressor (blood pressure medication) strategy for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal is to see... read more

Mapping the Brain’s Blueprint: Precision Critical Care for Acute Brain Injury

Current management strategies for complex ABI conditions—which are associated with high mortality and morbidity—often rely on a "one-size-fits-all" approach derived from trials on heterogeneous patient populations. This... read more

Individualizing PEEP in Acute Brain Injury

The consensus is that Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) can be safely used in most patients with Acute Brain Injury (ABI), provided its effects on the brain are closely monitored. PEEP Safety and ICP: While PEEP... read more

Restrictive vs. Liberal Transfusion Strategy in Patients with Spontaneous ICH

Red blood cell transfusions are commonly administered to anemic patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH); however, the optimal hemoglobin threshold to initiate transfusion is uncertain in this population.... read more

The Role of Neuroimaging in Brain Death Diagnosis

Brain death remains a medically and ethically complex topic, due to its religious and philosophical implications, despite the attempt to "scientificise" what is death and what is not. BD is characterized by a lack of universal... read more

TBI: Quantifying Methodological Uncertainties and Navigating Feasibilities in Monitoring of Cerebral Autoregulation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a critical medical challenge due to its heterogeneous nature and complex pathophysiological mechanisms. Individualized management of TBI patients, taking advantage of such technologies... read more

Ventilation Practices in ABI Patients and Association with Outcomes

Current mechanical ventilation practices for patients with acute brain injury (ABI) are poorly defined. This study aimed to describe ventilator settings/parameters used in intensive care units (ICUs) and evaluate their association... read more

Noninvasive Monitoring of Changes in Cerebral Hemodynamics During Prolonged Field Care for Hemorrhagic Shock and Hypoxia-Induced Injuries With Portable Diffuse Optical Sensors

There is a consistency in blood flow measures in both injury mechanisms (hemorrhagic shock and hypoxia), which is significant as the new prototype system provides similar measures and trends for each brain injury type, suggesting... read more

Strategies for Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with Brain Injury

Although direct data to guide mechanical ventilation in brain-injured patients is accumulating, the current evidence base remains limited. Ventilatory considerations in this population should be extrapolated from high-quality... read more

Arterial Carbon Dioxide and Acute Brain Injury in VA-ECMO

Acute brain injury (ABI) occurs frequently in patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). We examined the association between peri-cannulation arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) and... read more

Plasma biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, and brain injury as predictors of delirium duration in older hospitalized patients

Plasma Biomarkers of systemic inflammation and endothelial activation are associated with ED delirium duration in older ED patients without dementia. A total of 156 patients were enrolled. IL-6 (POR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.09–2.32)... read more

Casemix, management, and mortality of patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI

Patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for traumatic brain injury (TBI) differed considerably in their admission characteristics and management across human development settings. Level of human development was associated... read more

Cerebral Hypoperfusion Detection with Dynamic Hyperoxia Test

In a heterogeneous population of acute brain-injured patients, cerebral multimodal monitoring with intracranial pressure (ICP) and brain tissue oxygen pressure (PbtO2) detected regional cerebral hypoperfusion with a higher... read more

Rapidly Progressive Brain Atrophy in Septic ICU Patients

Many ICU patients with severe sepsis who developed prolonged mental status changes and neurological sequelae showed signs of brain atrophy. Patients with rapidly progressive brain atrophy were more likely to have required... read more

ICP Monitoring in Patients with Acute Brain Injury

The use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and ICP management varies greatly across centres and countries. The use of ICP monitoring might be associated with a more intensive therapeutic approach and with lower 6-month... read more

Monitoring tissue oxygenation index using near‐infrared spectroscopy during pre‐hospital resuscitation

In this pilot study, we demonstrated the feasibility of ∆TOI as a dynamic value rather than single static value among OHCA patients in a pre-hospital setting. ∆TOI can be considered as a predictor of return of spontaneous... read more

Risk Factors of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Strokes During Venovenous ECMO

Among venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry, approximately 5% had acute brain injury. Mortality rates increased two-fold when ischemic or hemorrhagic... read more

Brain Injury Is More Common in vv-ECMO Than VA-ECMO

Brain injury was more common in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) compared with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). While ischemic brain injury was more common in venoarterial... read more

Safe Transfer of the Brain-injured Patient

The document considers recent developments in the management of multiply-injured patients and those with acute ischaemic stroke. Whilst many of the principles of safe transfer are common to all seriously ill patients,... read more