[Spinal fluid in central nervous system diseases]

Erythrocytes, extracellular hemoglobin and bilirubin level, a quantity of medium mass molecules and catalase activity were determined in the spinal fluid of 32 patient with closed craniocerebral injury of the various degree 24 hours after accident. The extracellular hemoglobin and the bilirubin level were shown to appear in cases with cerebral contusion in association with bleeding only, failed to reflect state severity degree at the early stage after injury. As the number of medium mass molecules increases significantly only in the patients with severe contusions, this index can be used for description of the severity of the process and for evaluation of the deterioration of the clearance of proteolytic products resulting in endogenous intoxication of the central nervous system. The spinal catalytic enzyme activity reflects the severity of the closed cerebrocranial trauma most objectively and can be used as a subarachnoid hemorrhage marker.