title: [Technical aspects of intracranial pressure monitoring by subarachnoid method in severe head injury].
abstract: Two hundred and six patients with severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale of 8 points or less after nonsurgical resuscitation on admission), managed at Intensive Care Unit-Hospital das Clínicas - Universidade Estadual de Campinas were prospectively analysed. All patients were assessed by CT scan and 72 required neurosurgical intervention. All patients were continuously monitored to evaluate intracranial pressure (ICP) levels by a subarachnoid device (11 with subarachnoid metallic bolts and 195 with subarachnoid polyvinyl catheters). The ICP levels were continuously observed in the bedside pressure monitor display and their end-hour values were recorded in a standard chart. The patients were managed according to a standard protocol guided by the ICP levels. There were no intracranial haemorrhagic complications or hematomas due the monitoring method. Sixty six patients were punctured by lateral C1-C2 technique to assess infectious complications and 2 had positive cerebrospinal fluid samples for Acinetobacter sp. The final results measured at hospital discharge showed 75 deaths (36,40%) and 131 (63,60%) survivors. ICP levels had significantly influenced the final results (p<0,001). The subarachnoid method to continuously assess the ICP levels was considered applicable, safe, simple, low cost and useful to advise the management of the patients. The ICP record methodology was practical and useful. Despite the current technical advances the subarachnoid method was considered viable to assess the ICP levels in severe head injury.
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Neurocirurgia, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil. venancio@hc.unicamp.br
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Dantas Filho
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sardinha
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Facure
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Terzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies