Search PubMed⌕ Search

PubMed · 11124792

Use of acetazolamide to decrease cerebrospinal fluid production in chronically ventilated patients with ventriculopleural shunts.

Abstract

Acetazolamide (ACTZ), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, has been shown to decrease cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production in both in vivo and in vitro animal models. We report two children with hydrocephalus who experienced multiple shunt failures, and who had externalised ventriculostomy drains (EVD) prior to ventriculopleural shunt placement. The effects of increasing doses of ACTZ on CSF production and subsequent tolerance to ventriculopleural shunts were evaluated. The patients had a 48% and a 39% decrease in their EVD CSF output when compared to baseline with maximum ACTZ dose of 75 mg/kg/day and 50 mg/kg/day, respectively (p < 0.05). This is the first report of change in CSF volume in children after extended treatment with ACTZ. ACTZ treatment in mechanically ventilated paediatric patients with hydrocephalus may improve tolerance of ventriculopleural shunts and minimise respiratory compromise. Potassium and bicarbonate supplements are required to correct metabolic disturbances.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

E Carrion, J H Hertzog, M D Medlock, G J Hauser, H J Dalton. 2001. Use of acetazolamide to decrease cerebrospinal fluid production in chronically ventilated patients with ventriculopleural shunts.. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.84.1.68

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Nitric oxide modulates cerebral blood flow stimulation by acetazolamide in the rat cortex: a laser Doppler scanning study.

The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in cerebral blood flow (CBF) stimulation by acetazolamide was studied in anaesthetised, mechanically ventilated Wistar rats. CBF was monitored by laser Doppler scanning. Acetazolamide induced a long-lasting significant rCBF-increase. Application of NG-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), an inhibitor of all NO synthetases (NOS), prevented CBF stimulation by acetazolamide. Continuous infusion of the exogenous NO donor SIN-1 (3-morpholinosydnonimine) suppressed L-NNA induced increases of mean arterial blood pressure without effect on rCBF in comparison to baseline. Additional acetazolamide injection then again caused a significant increase of rCBF in spite of NOS-inhibition. We thus conclude that NO is involved in acetazolamide-induced CBF stimulation. The mere continuous presence of NO is sufficient to re-establish the acetazolamide-response in spite of NOS-inhibition. These data suggest that NO acts rather as a modulator than as a mediator of the acetazolamide-induced CBF response.

Acetazolamide↗

Low-dose acetazolamide reduces CO(2)-O(2) stimulus interaction within the peripheral chemoreceptors in the anaesthetised cat.

1. Using the technique of end-tidal CO(2) forcing, we measured the effect of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (4 mg kg(-1), I.V.) on the CO(2) sensitivities of the peripheral and central chemoreflex loops both during hyperoxia and hypoxia in 10 cats anaesthetised with alpha-chloralose-urethane. 2. In the control situation, going from hyperoxia (arterial P(O2) (P(a,O2)) 47.40 +/- 3.62 kPa, mean +/- S.D.) into moderate hypoxia (P(a,O2) 8.02 +/- 0.30 kPa) led to an almost doubling of the peripheral CO(2) sensitivity (S(P)): a rise from 0.09 +/- 0.07 to 0.16 +/- 0.06 l min(-1) kPa(-1). After acetazolamide, however, lowering the P(a,O2) from 46.95 +/- 5.19 to 8.02 +/- 0.66 kPa did not result in a rise in S(P), indicating the absence of a CO(2)-O(2) stimulus interaction. 3. In hypoxia, acetazolamide reduced S(P) from 0.16 +/- 0.06 to 0.07 +/- 0.05 l min(-1) kPa(-1). In hyperoxia, however, the effect on S(P) was much smaller (an insignificant reduction from 0.09 +/- 0.07 to 0.06 +/- 0.05 l min(-1) kPa(-1)). 4. Acetazolamide reduced both the hyperoxic and hypoxic sensitivities (S(C)) of the central chemoreflex loop: from 0.45 +/- 0.16 to 0.27 +/- 0.13 l min(-1) kPa(-1) and from 0.40 +/- 0.16 to 0.26 +/- 0.13 l min(-1) kPa(-1), respectively. In hyperoxia, the apnoeic threshold B (X-intercept of the ventilatory CO(2) response curve) decreased from 2.91 +/- 0.57 to 0.78 +/- 1.9 kPa (P = 0.005). In hypoxia, B decreased from 1.59 +/- 1.22 to -0.70 +/- 2.99 kPa (P = 0.03). 5. Because acetazolamide abolished the CO(2)-O(2) interaction, i.e. the expected increase in S(P) when going from hyperoxia into hypoxia, we conclude that the agent has a direct inhibitory effect on the carotid bodies. The exact mechanism by which the agent exerts this effect will remain unclear until more detailed information becomes available on the identity of the carbonic anhydrase iso-enzymes within the carotid bodies and their precise subcellular distribution.

Acetazolamide↗