Clinical experience with bromocriptine for central hyperthermia after brain insult

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Critical Care Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Central hyperthermia is a critical complication following acute neurological insults.
• Limited data exists on bromocriptine's efficacy and safety for managing central hyperthermia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the use of bromocriptine for treating central hyperthermia in intensive care unit patients.
• To assess patient population, dosing, adverse events, and discontinuation reasons for bromocriptine therapy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 30 patients with acute neurological insults treated with bromocriptine for central hyperthermia (April 2016 - September 2022).
• Collected data on patient characteristics, disease severity, bromocriptine dosage, and temperature changes.
• Noted co-administration of other hyperthermia management therapies.

Main Results:

• Traumatic brain injury was the most common diagnosis (N=14).
• Bromocriptine initiation showed a significant mean temperature decrease of 0.37°C (p=0.005).
• Most common discontinuation was resolution of indication (N=14); mild adverse events, including hepatotoxicity, occurred in 4 patients.

Conclusions:

• Bromocriptine is a potential therapy for central hyperthermia in patients with severe neurological insults unresponsive to other treatments.
• Bromocriptine was generally well tolerated with a low incidence of adverse events in this patient cohort.