Temperature and Traumatic Brain Injury
OVERVIEW
- induced hypothermia has been used for years to reduced cerebral metabolic rate.
- manipulation of temperature has been shown to effect certain types of brain injury (therapeutic hypothermia in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest).
- the data in traumatic brain injury differs.
DEFINTIONS
- normothermia: T 36-38 C
- hypothermia: T < 36 C – hyperthermia: T > 38 C
- therapeutic hypothermia: T 32-33 C (usually for 48 hours post injury)
THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA
NEJM, 2001
- MRCT
- normothermia vs moderate hypothermia (T33 C for 48 hours)
- improved ICP but no reduction in mortality
- patients > 45 years do worse with induced hypothermia
- if a patient arrives hypothermic -> do not warm to 37 (poorer outcome)
- if a patient arrives hypothermic -> they will have a significantly worse TBI
- increased risk of ventilatory acquired pneumonia
BTF Guidelines
- moderate quality trials
- cooling to 32-33 C
- no reduction in mortality
- patients treated with hypothermia were more likely to have favourable neurological outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Score of 4 or 5)
- need to cool for 48 hours
FEVER
- aggressive avoidance of fever early in TBI beneficial (lowers ICP)
- aim for normothermia (?what is normothermia)
- ?how long is it beneficial to control fever
AN APPROACH
First 48 hours
- if cold on arrival, don’t actively warm
- if normothermic, maintain
- if hyperthermic, treat cause and cool to normothermia
- don’t use therapeutic hypothermia
After 48 hours
- cool if having trouble controlling ICP (after having attempted other treatments and informing neurosurgeons)
- otherwise allow to be febrile
References and Links
CCC Neurocritical Care Series
Emergencies: Brain Herniation, Eclampsia, Elevated ICP, Status Epilepticus, Status Epilepticus in Paeds
DDx: Acute Non-Traumatic Weakness, Bulbar Dysfunction, Coma, Coma-like Syndromes, Delayed Awakening, Hearing Loss in ICU, ICU acquired Weakness, Post-Op Confusion, Pseudocoma, Pupillary Abnormalities
Neurology: Anti-NMDA Encephalitis, Basilar Artery Occlusion, Central Diabetes Insipidus, Cerebral Oedema, Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis, Cervical (Carotid / Vertebral) Artery Dissections, Delirium, GBS vs CIP, GBS vs MG vs MND, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Horner’s Syndrome, Hypoxic Brain Injury, Intracerebral Haemorrhage (ICH), Myasthenia Gravis, Non-convulsive Status Epilepticus, Post-Hypoxic Myoclonus, PRES, Stroke Thrombolysis, Transverse Myelitis, Watershed Infarcts, Wernicke’s Encephalopathy
Neurosurgery: Cerebral Salt Wasting, Decompressive Craniectomy, Decompressive Craniectomy for Malignant MCA Syndrome, Intracerebral Haemorrhage (ICH)
— SCI: Anatomy and Syndromes, Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury, C-Spine Assessment, C-Spine Fractures, Spinal Cord Infarction, Syndomes,
— SAH: Acute management, Coiling vs Clipping, Complications, Grading Systems, Literature Summaries, ICU Management, Monitoring, Overview, Prognostication, Vasospasm
— TBI: Assessment, Base of skull fracture, Brain Impact Apnoea, Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPP), DI in TBI, Elevated ICP, Limitations of CT, Lund Concept, Management, Moderate Head Injury, Monitoring, Overview, Paediatric TBI, Polyuria incl. CSW, Prognosis, Seizures, Temperature
ID in NeuroCrit. Care: Aseptic Meningitis, Bacterial Meningitis, Botulism, Cryptococcosis, Encephalitis, HSV Encephalitis, Meningococcaemia, Spinal Epidural Abscess
Equipment/Investigations: BIS Monitoring, Codman ICP Monitor, Continuous EEG, CSF Analysis, CT Head, CT Head Interpretation, EEG, Extradural ICP Monitors, External Ventricular Drain (EVD), Evoked Potentials, Jugular Bulb Oxygen Saturation, MRI Head, MRI and the Critically Ill, Train of Four (TOF), Transcranial Doppler
Pharmacology: Desmopressin, Hypertonic Saline, Levetiracetam (Keppra), Mannitol, Midazolam, Sedation in ICU, Thiopentone
MISC: Brainstem Rules of 4, Cognitive Impairment in Critically Ill, Eye Movements in Coma, Examination of the Unconscious Patient, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Hiccoughs, Myopathy vs Neuropathy, Neurology Literature Summaries, NSx Literature Summaries, Occulocephalic and occulovestibular reflexes, Prognosis after Cardiac Arrest, SIADH vs Cerebral Salt Wasting, Sleep in ICU
- Brain Trauma Foundation Guidelines – Guidelines for the Management of Severe TBI
- Clifton GL, Miller ER, Choi SC, Levin HS, McCauley S, Smith KR Jr, Muizelaar JP, Wagner FC Jr, Marion DW, Luerssen TG, Chesnut RM, Schwartz M. Lack of effect of induction of hypothermia after acute brain injury. N Engl J Med. 2001 Feb 22;344(8):556-63. PubMed PMID: 11207351. [Free Fulltext]
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
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