Cerebral perfusion pressure in head-injured patients: a noninvasive assessment using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 802-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Czosnyka ◽  
Basil F. Matta ◽  
Piotr Smielewski ◽  
Peter J. Kirkpatrick ◽  
John D. Pickard
Keyword(s):  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Transcranial Doppler ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Doppler Ultrasonography ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Head Injured ◽  
Injured Patients ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors studied the reliability of a new method for noninvasive assessment of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in head-injured patients in which mean arterial blood pressure (ABP) and transcranial Doppler middle cerebral artery mean and diastolic flow velocities are measured. Methods. Cerebral perfusion pressure was estimated (eCPP) over periods of continuous monitoring (20 minutes—2 hours, 421 daily examinations) in 96 head-injured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score < 13) who were admitted to the intensive care unit. All patients were sedated, paralyzed, and ventilated. The eCPP and the measured CPP (ABP minus intracranial pressure, measured using an intraparenchymal microsensor) were compared. The correlation between eCPP and measured CPP was r = 0.73; p < 10−6. In 71% of the examinations, the estimation error was less than 10 mm Hg and in 84% of the examinations, the error was less than 15 mm Hg. The method had a high positive predictive power (94%) for detecting low CPP (< 60 mm Hg). The eCPP also accurately reflected changes in measured CPP over time (r > 0.8; p < 0.001) in situations such as plateau and B waves of intracranial pressure, arterial hypotension, and refractory intracranial hypertension. A good correlation was found between the average measured CPP and eCPP when day-by-day variability was assessed in a group of 41 patients (r = 0.71). Conclusions. Noninvasive estimation of CPP by using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography may be of value in situations in which monitoring relative changes in CPP is required without invasive measurement of intracranial pressure.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in raised intra-cranial pressure and in intracranial circulatory arrest

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Hassler ◽  
Helmuth Steinmetz ◽  
Jan Gawlowski
Keyword(s):  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Brain Death ◽  
Intracranial Hypertension ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Transcranial Doppler ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Doppler Ultrasonography ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Circulatory Arrest ◽  
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography

✓ Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was used to monitor 71 patients suffering from intracranial hypertension with subsequent brain death. Among these, 29 patients were also assessed for systemic arterial pressure and epidural intracranial pressure, so that a correlation between cerebral perfusion pressure and the Doppler ultrasonography waveforms could be established. Four-vessel angiography was also performed in 33 patients after clinical brain death. With increasing intracranial pressure, the transcranial Doppler ultrasonography waveforms exhibited different characteristic high-resistance profiles with first low, then zero, and then reversed diastolic flow velocities, depending on the relationship between intracranial pressure and blood pressure (that is, cerebral perfusion pressure). This study shows that transcranial. Doppler ultrasonography may be used to assess the degree of intracranial hypertension. This technique further provides a practicable, noninvasive bedside monitor of therapeutic measures.

Determination of threshold levels of cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial pressure in severe head injury by using receiver operating—characteristic curves: an observational study in 291 patients

2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Robert Chambers ◽  
Lynne Treadwell ◽  
A. David Mendelow
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Head Injured ◽  
Mass Lesions ◽  
Injured Patients ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) are frequently monitored in severely head injured patients. To establish which one (ICP or CPP) is more predictive of outcome and to examine whether there are significant threshold levels in the determination of outcome, receiver—operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze data in a large series of head-injured patients. Methods. Data were obtained from a total of 291 severely head injured patients (207 adults and 84 children). Outcome was categorized as either independent (good recovery or moderate disability) or poor (severely disabled, vegetative, or dead) by using the Glasgow Outcome Scale; patients were also grouped according to the Marshall computerized tomography scan classification. Conclusions. The maximum value of a 2-minute rolling average of ICP readings (defined as ICPmax) and the minimum value of the CPP readings (CPPmin) were then used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the ROC curves over a range of values. Using ROC curves, a threshold value for CPPmin of 55 mm Hg and for ICPmax of 35 mm Hg appear to be the best predictors in adults. For children the levels appear to be 43 to 45 mm Hg for CPPmin and 35 mm Hg for ICPmax. Higher levels of CPPmin seem important in adults with mass lesions. These CPP thresholds (45 mm Hg for children and 55 mm Hg for adults) are lower than previously predicted and may be clinically important, especially in children, in whom a lower blood pressure level is normal. Also, CPP management at higher levels may be more important in adults with mass lesions. A larger observational series would improve the accuracy of these predictions.

Cerebral perfusion pressure, intracranial pressure, and head elevation

1986 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Rosner ◽  
Irene B. Coley
Keyword(s):  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Pressure Waves ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Head Elevation ◽  
Adequate Hydration ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Previous investigations have suggested that intracranial pressure waves may be induced by reduction of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Since pressure waves were noted to be more common in patients with their head elevated at a standard 20° to 30°, CPP was studied as a function of head position and its effect upon intracranial pressure (ICP). In 18 patients with varying degrees of intracranial hypertension, systemic arterial blood pressure (SABP) was monitored at the level of both the head and the heart. Intracranial pressure and central venous pressure were assessed at every 10° of head elevation from 0° to 50°. For every 10° of head elevation, the average ICP decreased by 1 mm Hg associated with a reduction of 2 to 3 mm Hg CPP. The CPP was not beneficially affected by any degree of head elevation. Maximal CPP (73 ± 3.4 mm Hg (mean ± standard error of the mean)) always occurred with the head in a horizontal position. Cerebrospinal fluid pressure waves occurred in four of the 18 patients studied as a function of reduced CPP caused by head elevation alone. Thus, elevation of the head of the bed was associated with the development of CPP decrements in all cases, and it precipitated pressure waves in some. In 15 of the 18 patients, CPP was maintained by spontaneous 10- to 20-mm Hg increases in SABP, and pressure waves did not occur if CPP was maintained at 70 to 75 mm Hg or above. It is concluded that 0° head elevation maximizes CPP and reduces the severity and frequency of pressure-wave occurrence. If the head of the bed is to be elevated, then adequate hydration and avoidance of pharmacological agents that reduce SABP or prevent its rise are required to maximize CPP.

scholarly journals Left or right, up or down: A case for positioning of unconcious head-injured patients

Curationis ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hugo
Keyword(s):  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Head Injured ◽  
Pressure Changes ◽  
Injured Patients ◽  
Increased Icp

Nursing care activities have been proved to cause increases in intracranial pressure (ICP) which could be detrimental to the patient’s health. Because positioning is one of the activities that causes the greatest pressure changes it was evaluated in this study. Cumulative increases also occur when nursing care activities are carried out in quick succession. The analysis of the data and literature suggest that the backrest position with the head of the bed elevated 30 to 45 degrees is the best position for a patient with increased ICP. If further research should prove that this position has a negative influence on the cerebral perfusion pressure, these recommendations will have to be revised.

Blood pressure and intracranial pressure-volume dynamics in severe head injury: relationship with cerebral blood flow

1992 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrit J. Bouma ◽  
J. Paul Muizelaar ◽  
Kuniaki Bandoh ◽  
Anthony Marmarou
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Severe Head Injury ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Tissue Stiffness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Head Injured ◽  
Injured Patients ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Increased brain tissue stiffness following severe traumatic brain injury is an important factor in the development of raised intracranial pressure (ICP). However, the mechanisms involved in brain tissue stiffness are not well understood, particularly the effect of changes in systemic blood pressure. Thus, controversy exists as to the optimum management of blood pressure in severe head injury, and diverging treatment strategies have been proposed. In the present study, the effect of induced alterations in blood pressure on ICP and brain stiffness as indicated by the pressure-volume index (PVI) was studied during 58 tests of autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in 47 comatose head-injured patients. In patients with intact autoregulation mechanisms, lowering the blood pressure caused a steep increase in ICP (from 20 ± 3 to 30 ± 2 mm Hg, mean ± standard error of the mean), while raising blood pressure did not change the ICP. When autoregulation was defective, ICP varied directly with blood pressure. Accordingly, with intact autoregulation, a weak positive correlation between PVI and cerebral perfusion pressure was found; however, with defective autoregulation, the PVI was inversely related to cerebral perfusion pressure. The various blood pressure manipulations did not significantly alter the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, irrespective of the status of autoregulation. It is concluded that the changes in ICP can be explained by changes in cerebral blood volume due to cerebral vasoconstriction or dilatation, while the changes in PVI can be largely attributed to alterations in transmural pressure, which may or may not be attenuated by cerebral arteriolar vasoconstriction, depending on the autoregulatory status. The data indicate that a decline in blood pressure should be avoided in head-injured patients, even when baseline blood pressure is high. On the other hand, induced hypertension did not consistently reduce ICP in patients with intact autoregulation and should only be attempted after thorough assessment of the cerebrovascular status and under careful monitoring of its effects.

Intracranial pressure in nontraumatic ischemic and hypoxic cerebral insults

1981 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard J. Senter ◽  
Aizik Wolf ◽  
Franklin C. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Cerebral Insult ◽  
Salvage Rate ◽  
Increased Icp ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure were monitored in 12 patients who were comatose secondary to hypoxic (five cases) or hypotensive (seven cases) nontraumatic cerebral insults. Patients who were hypotensive but not hypoxic developed significant increased ICP. In patients who were comatose from hypoxic cerebral insults without hypotension, ICP was normal. When an increase in ICP was diagnosed, patients were managed aggressively so as to improve cerebral perfusion and lower ICP. Although a functional salvage rate of 25% was obtained, this may reflect the severity of the initial cerebral insult rather than the effect of treatment. In order to prevent the potential deleterious effects of raised ICP, it is concluded that monitoring ICP and maintaining adequate perfusion may be warranted in comatose patients who have suffered nontraumatic diffuse ischemic but not purely hypoxic cerebral insults.

Relationship between transcranial Doppler-determined pulsatility index and cerebrovascular resistance: an experimental study

1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Czosnyka ◽  
Hugh K. Richards ◽  
Helen E. Whitehouse ◽  
John D. Pickard
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Transcranial Doppler ◽  
Pulsatility Index ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Laser Doppler ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cerebrovascular Resistance ◽  
Group I ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Clinical studies with transcranial Doppler suggest that the pulsatility of the flow velocity (FV) waveform increases when the distal cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) increases. To clarify this relationship, the authors studied animal models in which the resistance may be decreased in a controlled manner by an increase in arterial CO2 tension, or by a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in autoregulating animals. Twelve New Zealand white rabbits were anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated. Transcranial Doppler basilar artery FV, laser Doppler cortical blood flow, arterial pressure, intracranial pressure, and end-tidal CO2 concentration were measured continuously. Cerebrovascular resistance (CPP divided by laser Doppler cortical flux) and Gosling Pulsatility Index (PI, defined as an FV pulse amplitude divided by a timed average FV) were calculated as time-dependent variables for each animal. Four groups of animals undergoing controlled manipulations of CVR were analyzed. In Group I, arterial CO2 concentration was changed gradually from hypocapnia to hypercapnia. In Group II, gradual hemorrhagic hypotension was used to reduce CPP. In Group III, the short-acting ganglion blocking drug trimetaphan was injected intravenously to induce transient hypotension. Intracranial hypertension was produced by subarachnoid saline infusion in Group IV. During the hypercapnic challenge the correlation between the cortical resistance and Doppler flow pulsatility was positive (r = 0.77, p < 0.001). In all three groups in which cerebral perfusion pressure was reduced a negative correlation between pulsatility index and cerebrovascular resistance was found (r = −20.84, p < 0.001). The authors conclude that PI cannot be interpreted simply as an index of CVR in all circumstances.

Experimental cerebral oligemia and ischemia produced by intracranial hypertension

1975 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence F. Marshall ◽  
David I. Graham ◽  
Felix Durity ◽  
Robert Lounsbury ◽  
Frank Welsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Intracranial Hypertension ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Cerebral Perfusion ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Raised Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complete Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors studied the morphological sequelae of 15 minutes of cerebral oligemia (20 torr cerebral perfusion pressure) and complete cerebral ischemia produced by raised intracranial pressure in rabbits. Ischemic cell change was present in five of seven ischemic animals; it was most extensive in the striatum and hippocampus, with only a few ischemic nerve cells in the thalamus and neocortex. The brains of control and oligemic animals were normal. These results indicate the following: 1) ischemia is a more severe insult than oligemia; 2) compression ischemia results in a pattern of damage that differs from that produced by other types of ischemia; and 3) the method used to reduce cerebral perfusion pressure is an important factor in determining the pattern and extent of brain damage produced.

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