ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effects of intravenous ice-cold 0.9% saline (4℃) on the intracranial pressure of rabbits with focal cerebral ischemia. Methods The model of cerebral middle artery occlusion was made in 20 rabbits, who were then randomly divided into two groups: a mild hypothermia group treated with intravenous infusion of ice-cold 0.9% saline (4℃) over 24h and a control group with intravenous infusion of 0.9% saline of the temperature of 22℃. The cerebral temperature (Tc), intracranial pressure (ICP), mean artery pressure (MAP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were monitored in all rabbits. Results The ICPs were 12.5?2.2, 11.0?2.2 and ~10.5 ?2.0 mmHg in the 2h, 12h and 24h after mild hypothermia in the mild hypothermia group, and 15.7?2.9, ~18.1 ?3.1 and 21.3?3.4 mmHg in the control group, respectively. The ICPs of the mild hypothermia group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P0.05). Conclusion These results indicated that intravenous infusion of ice-cold 0.9% saline could decrease the ICP and increase CCP and MAP after focal cerebral ischemia.