Continuous versus serial global cerebral hemometabolic monitoring: applications in acute brain trauma

Global cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic variables were assessed in twenty-eight adults with acute brain trauma. Systemic hemodynamics was also evaluated in twenty-one of the patients at that time. Up to six variables were simultaneously assessed, including systemic arterial pressure (SAP), intracranial pressure (ICP), expired or arterial carbon dioxide tension (PECO2, PaCO2), arterial, jugular bulb, and pulmonary artery oxyhemoglobin saturation percents (SaO2, SjO2, SvO2). All subjects having developed severe intracranial hypertension (SICH), those having also sustained systemic hypoxia presented with signs of neurological deterioration, significantly different from the hypoxic-free cases.