[Cerebral blood flow velocity. A prognostic factor following severe craniocerebral trauma?]

Head injuries lead to changes in cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV)--measured with the transcranial Doppler ultrasonography--in 19 out of 31 patients, i.e. 61%. In 12 cases there was an immediate increase of BFV following the injury or within the first 7 days, often parallel with an increase of the intracranial pressure. On the other hand in 2 out of 4 cases with chronic subdural haemorrhage there was a decrease of the BFV. With routine use of transcranial doppler ultrasound in neurosurgical intensive care, acute changes in BFV along with clinical deterioration may indicate the need for a repeat CT and eventually a surgical intervention.