Abstract
Acute brain injury, in the form of trauma, stroke, or spontaneous hemorrhage, occurs commonly and in all age groups. Although the management of these conditions differs considerably, certain physiologic principles are shared by all and are useful in guiding the management of the most severely injured patients. This article reviews basic cerebral physiology and describes the links between physiology and management principles, emphasizing subjects relevant to the respiratory management of patients with acute brain injury.
- acute brain injury
- respiratory
- intracranial pressure
- cerebral blood flow
- hyperventilation
- lung-protective ventilation
- closed head injury
- subarachnoid hemmorhage
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Steven Deem MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359724, Seattle WA 98104. E-mail: sdeem{at}u.washington.edu.
- Copyright © 2006 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
