Advances in Neurocritical Care

Background: Vein of Galen malformation (VGM) is a congenital intracranial vascular anomaly consisting of arteriovenous fistulas and/or malformations between various arterial feeders and the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski (MPV). Despite its rare occurrence, VGM is of particular clinical relevance, as the excessive intracranial shunt volume leads to high mortality without appropriate treatment. Methods: The objective of this article is to review the published data on neurointerventional treatment and compare outcome quality in the included studies. Eight studies were included and synthesized. One study was multicentric and the rest were retrospective monocentric (level 4 evidence studies according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine). Results: The total number of included patients was 480 and patient age ranged from 1 day to 18 years. Mild or severe heart failure, hydrocephalus, and other reasons led to the indication for neurointerventional treatment, which was performed in all studies in the form of embolization. Under consideration of the introduced semiquantitative multidimensional scoring system, the highest total score, i.e., the best outcome quality, was found for the study “Houston” 2002–2018 (19 points) and the study “Duisburg” 2001–2010 (19 points). Conclusions: Neurointerventional treatment represents the essential pillar in the interdisciplinary management of patients with VGM, although standardization is lacking—based on the results of the structured review. As complementary treatments, pediatric critical care is mandatory and includes medical hemodynamic stabilization. Full article

Background: The measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) as a non-invasive method of estimating intracranial pressure has been widely reported in the literature. However, few studies have evaluated the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing ONSD measurements, although it is considered a very reliable method, it is not easily repeatable, expensive and is not readily available bedside. Herein, an assessment of the intra- and inter-rater reliability of ONSD assessment using MRI was conducted. Methods: A consecutive, prospective cohort of patients with suspected idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus was analyzed. ONSD MRI measurements of the transverse and sagittal diameters at a distance of 3 mm behind the papilla were evaluated twice each by two expert neuroradiologists. The correlations between MRI examiners were calculated using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Results: Fifty patients were included in the study. ONSD MRI average measurements were substantially higher than clinically expected (>5 mm). Considering intra-rater concordance, only one of the two neuroradiologists achieved an excellent score at CCC. Only a moderate inter-observer CCC for MRI assessment was found at all diameters. Conclusions: The use of a widespread MRI sequence (3D T1) to measure ONSD is not an accurate method since it may overestimate measurements and is dependent upon an operator. Full article

Objectives: Malnutrition is frequently seen in stroke patients. Malnutrition worsens the prognosis and increases the mortality rate in acute ischemic stroke patients. Malnutrition is a significant factor not only in the initiation of infection but also in its progression. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a new index that evaluates the nutrition and inflammatory status. This study aims to investigate the relationship between PNI and stroke-related infection (SRI) development during hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Acute ischemic stroke was the primary diagnosis for 158 patients who were admitted to the neurology intensive care unit. Patients’ demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were recorded. PNI was calculated according to the formula given below. PNI: 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (mm³). PNI > 380 normal, PNI: 350–380 moderate malnutrition risk, PNI < 350 severe malnutrition risk. Results: A total of 158 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included in the study. There were 70 male and 88 female patients, whereas the mean age of the patients was 67.79 ± 14.0 years. Nosocomial infection developed in 34 (21%) of the patients. Compared to high PNI scores, patients with low PNI scores were generally older, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, atrial fibrillation, infection, mortality rate, and hospitalization rates were all significantly higher. Conclusions: In this study, we discovered that patients with poor PNI had a considerably increased rate of infection development. It is vital to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with acute ischemic stroke during hospitalization. Full article

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) suffer from some comorbidities, including physical and psychiatric disorders, low quality of life (QoL), hormonal dysregulation, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of eight weeks of tele-yoga and tele-Pilates on the serum levels of prolactin and cortisol and selected physical and psychological factors. Methods: Forty-five females with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, based on age (18–65), expanded disability status scale (0–5.5), and body mass index (20–32), were randomly assigned to tele-Pilates, tele-yoga, or control groups (n = 15). Serum blood samples and validated questionnaires were collected before and after interventions. Results: Following online interventions, there was a significant increase in the serum levels of prolactin (p = 0.004) and a significant decrease in cortisol (p = 0.04) in the time × group interaction factors. In addition, significant improvements were observed in depression (p = 0.001), physical activity levels (p < 0.001), QoL (p ≤ 0.001), and the speed of walking (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that tele-yoga and tele-Pilates training could be introduced as patient-friendly, non-pharmacological, add-on therapeutic methods for increasing prolactin and decreasing cortisol serum levels and achieving clinically relevant improvements in depression, walking speed, physical activity level, and QoL in female MS patients. Full article

A multitude of pathological and inflammatory processes determine the clinical course after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, our understanding of predictive factors and therapeutic consequences is limited. We evaluated the predictive value of clinically relevant factors readily available in the ICU setting, such as white blood cell (WBC) count and CRP, for two of the leading comorbidities, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt dependency in aSAH patients with and without corticosteroid treatment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 484 aSAH patients admitted to our institution over an eight-year period. Relevant clinical factors affecting the risk of DCI and VP shunt dependency were identified and included in a multivariate logistic regression model. Overall, 233/484 (48.1%) patients were treated with corticosteroids. Intriguingly, predictive factors associated with the occurrence of DCI differed significantly depending on the corticosteroid treatment status (dexamethasone group: Hunt and Hess grade (p = 0.002), endovascular treatment (p = 0.016); no-dexamethasone group: acute hydrocephalus (p = 0.018), peripheral leukocyte count 7 days post SAH (WBC at day 7) (p = 0.009)). Similar disparities were found for VP shunt dependency (dexamethasone group: acute hydrocephalus (p = 0.002); no-dexamethasone group: WBC d7 (p = 0.036), CRP peak within 72 h (p = 0.015)). Our study shows that corticosteroid-induced leukocytosis negates the predictive prognostic potential of systemic inflammatory markers for DCI and VP shunt dependency, which has previously been neglected and should be accounted for in future studies. Full article

A non-convulsive status epilepticus (ncSE) is a potentially fatal complication for patients in neurointensive care. In patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), ncSE remains scarcely investigated. In this study, we aim to investigate the frequency and influence of non-convulsive status epilepticus on outcome in patients with SAH. We retrospectively analyzed data of consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and evaluated clinical, radiological, demographical and electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Outcome was assessed according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months and stratified into favorable (mRS 0-2) vs. unfavorable (mRS 3-6). We identified 171 patients with SAH, who received EEG between 01/2012 and 12/2020. ncSE was diagnosed in 19 patients (3.7%), only one of whom achieved favorable outcome. The multivariate regression analysis revealed four independent predictors of unfavorable outcome: presence of ncSE (p = 0.003; OR 24.1; 95 CI% 2.9–195.3), poor-grade SAH (p < 0.001; OR 14.0; 95 CI% 8.5–23.1), age (p < 0.001; OR 2.8; 95 CI% 1.6–4.6) and the presence of DIND (p < 0.003; OR 1.9; 95 CI% 1.2–3.1) as independent predictors for unfavorable outcome. According to our study, development of ncSE in patients suffering SAH might correlate with poor prognosis. Even when medical treatment is successful and no EEG abnormalities are detected, the long-term outcome remains poor. Full article

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) commonly develops in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients and is a risk factor for poor prognosis. We designed this study to evaluate the performance of several machine learning algorithms for predicting ARDS in TBI patients. Methods: TBI patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III (MIMIC-III) database were eligible for this study. ARDS was identified according to the Berlin definition. Included TBI patients were divided into the training cohort and the validation cohort with a ratio of 7:3. Several machine learning algorithms were utilized to develop predictive models with five-fold cross validation for ARDS including extreme gradient boosting, light gradient boosting machine, Random Forest, adaptive boosting, complement naïve Bayes, and support vector machine. The performance of machine learning algorithms were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and F score. Results: 649 TBI patients from the MIMIC-III database were included with an ARDS incidence of 49.5%. The random forest performed the best in predicting ARDS in the training cohort with an AUC of 1.000. The XGBoost and AdaBoost ranked the second and the third with an AUC of 0.989 and 0.815 in the training cohort. The random forest still performed the best in predicting ARDS in the validation cohort with an AUC of 0.652. AdaBoost and XGBoost ranked the second and the third with an AUC of 0.631 and 0.620 in the validation cohort. Several mutual top features in the random forest and AdaBoost were discovered including age, initial systolic blood pressure and heart rate, Abbreviated Injury Score chest, white blood cells, platelets, and international normalized ratio. Conclusions: The random forest and AdaBoost based models have stable and good performance for predicting ARDS in TBI patients. These models could help clinicians to evaluate the risk of ARDS in early stages after TBI and consequently adjust treatment decisions. Full article

(1) Background: Although cognitive impairments in coma survivors are common, methods of measuring long-term cognitive outcomes in this population are inconsistent, precluding the development of a strong evidence-base to support clinical decision making. In this literature review, we identify and characterize the measures used to track cognitive recovery in coma survivors to data. (2) Methods: We extracted the instrument used for cognitive assessment, the cognitive domains assessed, methods administration and scoring, and timing of assessment from 134 of 996 screened records. (3) Results: A total of 133 unique cognitive tests and cognitive testing batteries were identified, with 97 cognitive instruments used in less than three articles. The instruments assessed 20 different cognitive domains, with 73 articles also using tests that assess general “cognitive ability”. Cognitive instruments ranged from subjective assessments to comprehensive cognitive batteries. There were inconsistent points of reference for the timing of assessment across studies, with few studies repeating assessments at more than one time point, and arbitrary time intervals between tests. (4) Conclusions: Overall, this review illustrates the enormous disparity between studies that track cognitive outcome in coma survivors, and the need for a systematic, patient-accessible method of assessing cognitive functioning in future studies with this population. Full article

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare but severe neurological syndrome that may stem from the use of some medications. Although its mechanism is not well-known, hypertension and endothelial dysfunction have been mentioned in previous literature as being related. Lenvatinib serves as a neoplastic agent that inhibits the tyrosine kinase of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR). VEGFR inhibitors result in endothelial dysfunction and consequent hypertension by nitric oxide pathway suppression and endothelin (ET)-1 stimulation. We hypothesized that VEGFR inhibitors would cause PRES. Herein, we report the case of a 40-year-old man with olfactory neuroblastoma who developed PRES while undergoing treatment with lenvatinib, 7 months after initiation. The symptoms included loss of consciousness and seizures. Fortunately, the symptoms and presence of PRES in imaging resolved, 7 days and 1 month, respectively, after cessation of lenvatinib. Full article

The mortality of stroke increases on weekends and during off-hour periods. We investigated the effect of off-hour admission on the outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. We retrospectively analyzed a prospective cohort of ICH patients, admitted between January 2017 and December 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Acute ICH within 72 h after onset with a baseline computed tomography and 3-month follow-up were included in our study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for calculating the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the outcome measurements. Of the 656 participants, 318 (48.5%) were admitted during on-hours, whereas 338 (51.5%) were admitted during off-hours. Patients with a poor outcome had a larger median baseline hematoma volume, of 27 mL (interquartile range 11.1–53.2 mL), and a lower median time from onset to imaging, of 2.8 h (interquartile range 1.4–9.6 h). Off-hour admission was significantly associated with a poor functional outcome at 3 months, after adjusting for cofounders (adjusted OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.35–3.47; p = 0.001). We found that patients admitted during off-hours had a higher risk of poor functional outcomes at 3 months than those admitted during working hours. Full article

Background: Accurate outcome prediction can serve to approach, quantify and categorize severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) coma patients for right median electrical stimulation (RMNS) treatment, which can support rehabilitation plans. As a proof of concept for individual risk prediction, we created a novel nomogram model combining amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (AEEG) and clinically relevant parameters. Methods: This study retrospective collected and analyzed a total of 228 coma patients after severe TBI in two medical centers. According to the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE), patients were divided into a good outcome (GOSE 3–8) or a poor outcome (GOSE 1–2) group. Their clinical and biochemical indicators, together with EEG features, were explored retrospectively. The risk factors connected to the outcome of coma patients receiving RMNS treatment were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression. The discriminative capability and calibration of the model to forecast outcome were assessed by C statistics, calibration plots, and Kaplan-Meier curves on a personalized nomogram forecasting model. Results: The study included 228 patients who received RMNS treatment for long-term coma after a severe TBI. The median age was 40 years, and 57.8% (132 of 228) of the patients were male. 67.0% (77 of 115) of coma patients in the high-risk group experienced a poor outcome after one year and the comparative data merely was 30.1% (34 of 113) in low-risk group patients. The following variables were integrated into the forecasting of outcome using the backward stepwise selection of Akaike information criterion: age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, EEG reactivity (normal, absence, or the stimulus-induced rhythmic, periodic, or ictal discharges (SIRPIDs)), and AEEG background pattern (A mode, B mode, or C mode). The C statistics revealed that the nomograms’ discriminative potential and calibration demonstrated good predictive ability (0.71). Conclusion: Our findings show that the nomogram model using AEEG parameters has the potential to predict outcomes in severe TBI coma patients receiving RMNS treatment. The model could classify patients into prognostic groups and worked well in internal validation. Full article

Hospital Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) is one of the most common complications and late causes of death in TBI patients. Targeted prevention and treatment of HAP are of great significance for improving the prognosis of TBI patients. In the previous clinical observation, we found that folic acid treatment for TBI patients has a good effect on preventing and treating HAP. We conducted this retrospective cohort study to demonstrate what we observed by selecting 293 TBI patients from two medical centers and analyzing their hospitalization data. The result showed that the incidence of HAP was significantly lower in TBI patients who received folic acid treatment (44.1% vs. 63.0%, p = 0.012). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that folic acid treatment was an independent protective factor for the occurrence of HAP in TBI patients (OR = 0.418, p = 0.031), especially in high-risk groups of HAP, such as the old (OR: 1.356 vs. 2.889), ICU (OR: 1.775 vs. 5.996) and severe TBI (OR: 0.975 vs. 5.424) patients. At the same time, cohort studies of HAP patients showed that folic acid also had a good effect on delaying the progression of HAP, such as reducing the chance of tracheotomy (26.1% vs. 50.8%, p = 0.041), and reduced the length of hospital stay (15 d vs. 19 d, p = 0.029) and ICU stay (5 d vs. 8 d, p = 0.046). Therefore, we believe that folic acid treatment in TBI patients has the potential for preventing and treating HAP, and it is worthy of further clinical research. Full article

(1) Background: To explore the correlation between the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (UCR) and in-hospital mortality in non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. (2) Methods: Specific clinical information was collected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Ⅳ (MIMIC-Ⅳ) database. The optimal cut-off value of the UCR was calculated with ROC curve analysis conducted using the maximum Youden index for the prediction of survival status. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were also carried out to assess the prognostic significance of UCR, and the Kaplan–Meier (K–M) analysis was conducted to draw the survival curves. Then, the 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) method was applied to improve the reliability of the research results while balancing the unintended influence of underlying confounders. (3) Results: This retrospective cohort study included 961 patients. The optimal cut-off value of the UCR for in-hospital mortality was 27.208. The PSM was performed to identify 92 pairs of score-matched patients, with balanced differences exhibited for nearly all variables. According to the K–M analysis, those patients with a UCR of more than 27.208 showed a significantly higher level of in-hospital mortality compared to the patients with a UCR of less than 27.208 (p < 0.05). After the adjustment for possible confounders, those patients whose UCR was more than 27.208 still had a significantly higher level of in-hospital mortality than the patients whose UCR was less than 27.208, as revealed by the multivariable logistic regression analysis (OR = 3.783, 95% CI: 1.959~7.305, p < 0.001). Similarly, the in-hospital mortality remained substantially higher for those patients in the higher UCR group than for the patients in the lower UCR group after PSM. (4) Conclusion: A higher level of the UCR was evidently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, which made the ratio useful as a prognostic predictor of clinical outcomes for those patients with non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Full article

Despite recent advances in the field, the association between subsyndromal delirium (SSD) in the ICU and poor outcomes is not entirely clear. We performed a retrospective multicentric observational study analyzing mental status during the first 72 h of ICU stay. Of the 681 patients included, SSD occurred in 22.7%. Considering the worst cognitive assessment during the first 72 h, 233 (34%) patients had normal mental status, 124 (18%) patients had SSD and 324 (48%) patients had delirium or coma. SSD was not independently associated with an increased risk of death when compared with normal mental status (OR 95%IC 1.0 vs. 1.35 [0.73–1.49], p = 0.340), but was associated with a longer ICU LOS (7.0 (4–12) vs. 4 (3–8) days, p < 0.001). SSD patients who deteriorated to delirium or coma (21%) had a longer ICU LOS in comparison with those who improved or maintained mental status (8 (5–11) vs. 6 (4–8) days, p = 0.025), but did not have an increase in mortality. The main factors associated with the progression from SSD to delirium or coma were the use of mechanical ventilation, the use of intravenous benzodiazepines and a baseline APACHE II score > 23 points. Our findings support the association of SSD with increased ICU LOS, but not with ICU mortality. Monitoring the trajectory of SSD early at ICU admission can help to identify patients with increased risk of conversion from SSD to delirium or coma. Full article

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a life threating complication in intensive care units (ICUs). This study aimed to pool the prevalence of VTE and examined the risk factors of VTE in intensive care patients worldwide. Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases was performed. Studies reported that the data on the prevalence of VTE or relevant information were synthesized using a random-effects model. Results: A total of 42 studies reporting on 27,344 patients were included. The pooled prevalence of VTE was 10.0% (95% CI: 7.0–14.0%). Subgroup and metaregression analyses found that thromboprophylaxis strategy, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II), age, study quality, sample size, malignancy, sex, spinal cord injury and injury severity score (ISS) moderated the prevalence of VTE in intensive care patients. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis revealed a high prevalence of VTE in critically ill patients. The risk factors of VTE included thromboprophylaxis strategy, SAPS II, age, malignancy, sex, spinal cord injury and ISS. Therefore, we need to pay more attention to high-risk populations of VTE in intensive care patients. Full article

Objective: With a mortality rate of 10–30%, a moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is one of the most variable traumas. The indications for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in patients with mTBI and the effects of ICP on patients’ outcomes are uncertain. The purpose of this study was to examine the indications of ICP monitoring (ICPm) and its effects on the long-term functional outcomes of mTBI patients. Methods: Patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 9–11 at Tangdu hospital, between January 2015 and December 2021, were enrolled and treated in this retrospective cohort study. We assessed practice variations in ICP interventions using the therapy intensity level (TIL). Six-month mortality and a Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOS-E) score were the main outcomes. The secondary outcome was neurological deterioration (ND) events. The indication and the estimated impact of ICPm on the functional outcome were investigated by using binary regression analyses. Results: Of the 350 patients, 145 underwent ICP monitoring-assisted management, and the other 205 patients received a standard control based on imaging or clinical examinations. A GCS ≤ 10 (OR 1.751 (95% CI 1.216–3.023), p = 0.003), midline shift (mm) ≥ 2.5 (OR 3.916 (95% CI 2.076–7.386) p < 0.001), and SDH (OR 1.772 (95% CI 1.065–2.949) p = 0.028) were predictors of ICP. Patients who had ICPm (14/145 (9.7%)) had a decreased 6-month mortality rate compared to those who were not monitored (40/205 (19.5%), p = 0.011). ICPm was linked to both improved neurological outcomes at 6 months (OR 0.815 (95% CI 0.712–0.933), p = 0.003) and a lower ND rate (2 = 11.375, p = 0.010). A higher mean ICP (17.32 ± 3.52, t = −6.047, p < 0.001) and a more significant number of ICP > 15 mmHg (27 (9–45.5), Z = −5.406, p < 0.001) or ICP > 20 mmHg (5 (0–23), Z = −4.635, p < 0.001) 72 h after injury were associated with unfavorable outcomes. The best unfavorable GOS-E cutoff value of different ICP characteristics showed that the mean ICP was >15.8 mmHg (AUC 0.698; 95% CI, 0.606–0.789, p < 0.001), the number of ICP > 15 mmHg was >25.5 (AUC 0.681; 95% CI, 0.587–0.774, p < 0.001), and the number of ICP > 20 mmHg was >6 (AUC 0.660; 95% CI, 0.561–0.759, p < 0.001). The total TIL score during the first 72 h post-injury in the non-ICP group (9 (8, 11)) was lower than that of the ICP group (13 (9, 17), Z = −8.388, p < 0.001), and was associated with unfavorable outcomes. Conclusion: ICPm-assisted management was associated with better clinical outcomes six months after discharge and lower incidences of ND for seven days post-injury. A mean ICP > 15.8 mmHg, the number of ICP > 15 mmHg > 25.5, or the number of ICP > 20 mmHg > 6 implicate an unfavorable long-term prognosis after 72 h of an mTBI. Full article