Non-neurologic organ dysfunction in acute brain injury

Luc Berthiaume1, David Zygun

  • 1Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Critical Care Clinics
|January 24, 2007
PubMed

Patients with acute brain injury are a distinct group within the ICU who may develop non-neurologic organ dysfunction in the absence of systemic injury or infection. This dysfunction may arise directly as a result of the brain injury or indirectly with complications of brain-specific therapies. This article reviews the current literature with respect to the incidence of organ dysfunction or failure and its association with outcome in patients with acute brain injury. Organ system-specific etiologic considerations and management are discussed.

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