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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Clinical relevance of long-latency SEPs and VEPs during coma and emergence from coma.

Follow-up measurements of long-latency visual (VEP) and somatosensory (SEP) evoked potentials were performed on 30 comatose patients. Twenty-seven of the patients had severe head injury, 2 had encephalitis and 1 was in a posthypoxic state. For the SEP study a mechanical vibration stimulus was used, applied 60 times at intervals of 10 sec. The same rate was used for visual stimulation. The late EP components were classified by a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), whereby an SNR of less than 2.6 is characteristic of a questionable or unmeasurable EP and an SNR greater than 2.6 is evidence of a clearly existing EP; the clinical state was scored using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS); the patient outcome was assessed 6 months after the injury using the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The highest correlation (r = 0.72) was found between the clinical state, represented by the GCS, and the SEP. A similar correlation (r = 0.66) was obtained between the GCS and the vertex VEP. The occipital VEP showed no correlation. Emergence from coma and recovery was accompanied by an increase of the SEP and an increasing spread of the VEP over the whole scalp. Most patients with a clear long-latency SEP in coma had a favourable outcome; a missing or a questionable SEP indicated a poor outcome.

Adolescent↗

Statistical modelling in analysis of outcome after trauma Glasgow-Coma-Scale and Innsbruck-Coma-Scale.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The current study investigated the Glasgow-Coma-Scale (GCS) and the Innsbruck-Coma-Scale (ICS) for accuracy and reliability of prehospital prediction of non-survival. METHODS: 254 patients were scored immediately after trauma. RESULTS: Both scales equally predicted non-survival with low scores (p < 0.001). The ICS was slightly better in overall prediction of patient outcome (ICS: 84.98%; GCS: 82.68%), but more importantly, statistical analysis (logistic regression model) showed a greater distance between the median scores of survivors and non-survivors, when scored with the ICS (survival: 12; non-survival: 3) than when scored with the GCS (survival: 7; non-survival: 4). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study not only suggest that it is possible to predict mortality prior to therapy for any individual GCS and ICS coma score, but also indicated the ICS to be safer to use than the GCS because of the greater distance of the median scores for survivors and non survivors.

Adolescent↗

[Use of the Glasgow Coma Scale and the Jouvet Coma Scale to evaluate the level of consciousness].

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the Jouvet Coma Scale (JCS) have been evolved for assessing the depth and duration of impaired consciousness and coma. The analysis and the utilization of these scales have showed that they are complementary. The GCS is more sensitive when there is a more intense loss of consciousness, whereas the JCS shows its sensitivity better in the states close to normal. This study was aimed to compare the results obtained from the evaluation of the consciousness level by the utilization of the two scales. The comparison was done within a prospective study with 48 patients, all of them over 18 years old, interned in three intensive care units of different hospitals in the city of São Paulo. The evaluations were done daily by the researchers and the scales applied in sequence totaling 5 minutes. Each scale was applied in 106 evaluations, and the results showed a statistically meaningful difference between the GCS and the JCS as to the indication of alteration in the consciousness levels. In 37.74% of the evaluations done with the JCS there was an indication of alteration in the consciousness level, whereas with the GCS the alteration was present in only 23.58% of the evaluations. Another important observation about the utilization of both scales was that people whose scores were between 9 and 10 in the GCS had had an stronger indication of alteration of consciousness level by the same scale, while those with scores between 12 and 15 had a stronger indication of alteration in the consciousness level by JCS. When using GCS there has been the application of the non-testable (NT) in 20% of the evaluations. This did not occur when using the JCS. However it is believed that specific conditions of that particular group might have led to that result as well as specific characteristics of groups of patients might favor the utilization of different scales to evaluate the consciousness level. Therefore the final choice between such scales should consider the conditions and the peculiar characteristics of the clientele to be evaluated and not individual or health department services preferences.

Adolescent↗

[Effect of lactitol (NS-4) on the increase in blood and brain ammonia concentration and on coma in newly developed rat models of hepatic coma].

Encephalopathy caused by hepatic cirrhosis is often associated with portasystemic shunt and hepatic parenchymal injury. Together, these are known as a combined-type symptom. Two experimental hepatic comatose models with combined-type symptom were developed in rats. Both of these models involve the administration of ammonium acetate (500 mg/kg) into the cecum in portacaval shunted (PCS) rats. In addition, hepatic injury was induced in one model by carbontetrachloride (CCl4) and in the other by dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA). These model rats showed a higher increase in the concentration of ammonia in the blood and a higher incidence of coma as determined by the loss of the righting reflex than did rats subjected to a shunt only (PCS operation + ammonia loading) or hepatic parenchymal injury only (CCl4 treatment + ammonia loading). The effect of lactitol, administered orally for 7.5 days, on the experimental hepatic coma was compared with that of lactulose. Lactitol significantly inhibited the increase in blood and brain ammonia concentration at doses of 3 and 6 g/kg/day and also reduced the incidence of coma. The effects of lactitol were similar to those of lactulose, a therapeutic agent for hepatic encephalopathy. Therefore, lactitol should be useful in the clinical treatment of hyperammonemia or hepatic encephalopathy.

Ammonia↗

[Diabetic coma. Management of diabetic ketoacidosis and nonketotic hyperosmolar coma].

This review describes the current guidelines of German diabetes association for the management of diabetic coma, both of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolal coma. The outline focuses on emergency treatment and the management on the intensive care unit, in particular, volume and insulin therapy, and potassium replacement. The delineation of the concept of low insulin therapy is emphasized to avoid the incidence of disequilibrium syndrome. Also, the indications for bicarbonate therapy in diabetic ketoacidosis are critically discussed, as well as phosphate and magnesium replacement. With today's therapeutic possibilities the therapeutic goal, i.e. a low mortality, may be achieved, dependent on the underlying illness.

Diabetic Coma↗

Auditory evoked potentials in coma after closed head injury: a clinical-neurophysiologic coma scale for predicting outcome.

We studied auditory evoked potentials in 45 head-injured patients. All but three were comatose or stuporous at the time of study. Preservation of brainstem auditory or long-latency auditory evoked potentials predicted good outcome. The Glasgow coma scale (GCS), the clinical subtotal of the neurophysiologic coma scale (NPCS), and the NPCS had predictive accuracies of 71%, 82%, and 82%. Although there were 22 falsely pessimistic predictions with the GCS and 9% with the clinical subtotal of the NPCS, there were no falsely pessimistic predictions with the NPCS.

Adolescent↗

The correlation of EEG compressed spectral array to Glasgow Coma Scale in traumatic coma patients.

We have studied 20 comatose intensive care patients with head injuries and/or intracranial haemorrhage in order to compare two different monitoring methods of the central nervous system. The level of unconsciousness was followed on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). EEG was monitored continuously with the compressed spectral array (CSA)-method. CSA findings were classified into six categories according to the frequency content, reactivity and the amount of isoelectricity. The patients were divided into four groups according to the outcome: well-recovered, moderately recovered, poorly recovered and dead. The prognostic value of the data obtained with the GCS method was compared with that obtained by CSA. The CSA and GCS methods give information based on different neurophysiological backgrounds. This explains why the correlation of these methods was only moderate. When combining the information received from these two methods the predictability improved. In many acute situations CSA gave information about changes in the brain function, which could not be seen in GCS. The results suggest that CSA is not only a supplementary method to GCS but also a different approach to the monitoring of an unconscious patient.

Adolescent↗

Theta pattern coma, a variant of alpha pattern coma.

Electroencephalograms with a dominant rhythmic areactive 5Hz theta activity are reported in two comatose patients with fatal outcome. This pattern was followed by isoelectric EEG and death in the first patient, who suffered multiple injuries including severe cerebral concussion and later tentorial herniation. The second patient died eight hours after the second EEG recording, both EEGs having shown a very rhythmic 5-6 Hz activity which was maximal anteriorly. He died two days after a severe cerebral hypoxic episode due to acute respiratory failure. Both patients were in their late sixties. It is suggested that the dominant areactive theta activity is a variant of malignant "alpha pattern coma".

Aged↗