Trastornos prolongados de conciencia postinjuria cerebral aguda / Prolonged disorders of consciousness after an acute brain injury

Only a fraction of patients in coma secondary to a primary acute brain injury develop a vegetative state (VS). At least 20% of patients show late transitions to a minimally conscious states (MCS). They are particularly common in young adults with traumatic brain injury. The main problems faced by clinicians are the diagnostic accuracy of VS and MCS as well as the usefulness of sophisticated paraclinical investigations. Specific therapies are of limited effectiveness. This population is vulnerable to misdiagnosis and limited access to medical care and rehabilitation, thus generating ethical problems.

Resgate biográfico como estratégia de assistência a pacientes com condições neurológicas muito graves / Biographic Rescue as a strategy to assist patients with severe neurological conditions

Este artigo é um relato de experiência, apresentando uma prática de Terapia Ocupacional junto a pacientes comcondições neurológicas muito graves, pautada no resgate biográfico destes sujeitos, utilizando-se do diário de campo da primeira autora. Tem como referencial norteador o Cuidado,entendido como a designação da atenção à saúde interessada no sentido existencial da experiência do adoecimento. Busca-se o resgate da subjetividade destas pessoas, compreendida como o modo de organizar as diferentes experiências, a partir e com relação à atribuição de significado par a o seu cotidiano. A população assistida nesta experiência refere-se àquelas que sofreram umaperda muito grande de sua funcionalidade (motora e cognitiva), apartir de acometimentos neurológicos, especialmente pessoas em estado vegetativo persistente e em estado mínimo de consciência. Memória, história, identidade, dignidade, subjetividade especificam a prática do terapeuta ocupacional, independentemente das reações neurológicas apresentadas, como alguém que ajuda reconstruir os sentidos e significados do cotidiano do paciente em condição de tão severa incapacidade.

This article aims to describe an occupational therapy intervention for patients with severe neurological conditions, based on biographical rescue. It was used records and fi eld diaries of the first author. The concept of Comprehensive Care is the mainreference, designed as care interested in the existential sense of the illness process. It seeks to rescue the subjectivity of these people, understood as a way of organizing all the different experiences in life, from their relations with meaning. The assisted populationrefers to those who have suffered great loss of its functionality (motor and cognitive), from neurological affections, especially persons in a persistent vegetative state and minimally conscious state. Memory, history, identity, dignity, subjectivity specify thepractice of occupational therapist, regardless of neurological reactions presented by the patients, as someone who helps reconstruct the meanings of the daily life of person with so severedisability.

Mielinolisis central pontina en trasplante hepático / Central pontine myelinolysis after liver transplantation. Report of five cases

Background: Central Pontine Myelinolysis (CPM) is the most severe neurological complication after liver transplantation and apparently is not related to changes in osmolarity. Aim: To report five transplanted patients with CPM. Patients and Methods: In a series of 27 patients subjected to liver transplantation between 2005 and 2008, we found five patients who developed CPM. Results: All patients presented a severe hepatic encephalopathy. In the absence of alterations in osmolality, they developed, between the second to seventh day after transplantation, a central quadriplegia, hyperreflexia and Babinski sign, with preservation of sensorium. Magnetic resonance imaging showed demyelination of the motor pathway only in the protuberance. Motor recovery first began in the fingers and hands, followed by forearms, toes, feet, arms and finally the legs, defining a somatotopic recovery of the cortico-spinal pathway. Conclusions: This form of regaining motility shows that the selective involvement of the pyramidal tract in CPM, is according to its location in the pons and suggests a local entrapment. It is due to the structural rigidity of the protuberance that limits the expansive requirements of cytotoxic and vasogenic edema, and only affects the long fibers of cortico-spinal tracts, sensitized by encephalopathy. The entrapment syndromes generally preserve the axons, injure myelin and have no inflammatory reactions.

Pacientes en estado vegetativo persistente o estado de mínima conciencia secundarios a traumatismos craneoencefálicos / Patients in persistent vegetative state or state of minimum secondary conscience to cranio-encephalic traumatisms

Los traumatismos craneoencefálicos pueden dejar secuelas importantes dentro de las que se encuentran el estado vegetativo persistente y el estado de mínima conciencia. En el presente trabajo se presentan los resultados de 37 pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Provincial Clínico Quirúrgico Saturnino Lora de Santiago de Cuba, entre los años 1994 y 2007 y que cumplían los criterios de estado vegetativo persistente. Todos los casos se evaluaron a los tres meses, a los seis meses, al año y a los tres años. Predominó el grupo comprendido entre 20 y 29 años con un 35.13 por ciento y el sexo masculino con un 70.27 por ciento. Se destaca el traumatismo craneoencefálico con un 62.16 por ciento como la causa más frecuente. En relación con el seguimiento a los tres meses el 81.08 por ciento se mantenía en estado vegetativo persistente y el 8.10 por ciento evolucionó al estado de mínima conciencia. A los seis meses el 40.54 por ciento se mantenía en estado vegetativo persistente y el 29.72 por ciento evolucionó al estado de mínima conciencia. Al año el 24.32 por ciento se mantenía en estado vegetativo persistente y el 75.67 por ciento había fallecido y a los tres años el 10.81 por ciento se mantenía con vida y el 89.18 por ciento había fallecido.

The cranio-encephalic traumatisms can leave important sequels within which they are the persistent vegetative state and the minimum conscience state. In the present work the results of 37 patients taken care of Saturnino Lora the Surgical Provincial Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Cuba, between the years 1994 and 2007 and that fulfilled the criteria of persistent vegetative state. All cases were evaluated progressively to three months, to six months, a year and three years. The group between 20 and 29 years with 35,13 percent and masculine sex with 70,27 percent predominated. The cranio-encephalic traumatism with 62,16 percent stands out as the most frequent cause. In relation to the pursuit to the three months the 81,08 percent stayed in persistent vegetative state and the 8,10 percent evolved to the minimun consciousness state. To the six months the 40,54 percent stayed in persistent vegetative state and the 29,72 percent evolved to the minimum consciousness state. To a year the 24,32 percent stayed in persistent vegetative state and the 75,67 percent had passed away and to three years the 10,81 percent stayed alive and the 89,18 percent had deceased.

Encuesta sobre las actitudes médicas ante un caso hipotético de encefalopatía post-reanimación / Survey of medical attitudes towards a "case scenario" of encephalopathy after cardiac arrest

Estudios recientes muestran que el momento de la muerte está a menudo bajo el control de los médicos que cuidan pacientes en una unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI), donde la muerte suele estar precedida por decisiones de no comenzar una terapéutica agresiva o discontinuar una terapia para sostener la vida. El objetivo fue estudiar las actitudes de los cardiólogos en las decisiones médicas al final de la vida de pacientes terminales en UCI. Durante 2007 se realizó una encuesta vía correo electrónico a 967 cardiólogos de la Argentina. Se planteó el caso hipotético de una paciente en coma vegetativo y sin familiares para participar en una serie de decisiones al final de la vida. El 72.7% respondió el cuestionario; el 72.0% prefirió compartir las decisiones con colegas o un comité de bioética, aunque sólo el 6% dio participación al personal de enfermería; además, el 85.4% optaría por la orden "No Resucitar" (NR) y el 8% elegiría el "destete o extubación terminal". Estos resultados se asemejaron a los encontrados en estudios previos en Europa meridional. En conclusión, el análisis de las actitudes de los cardiólogos mostró una tendencia a compartir con colegas o un comité de bioética las decisiones sobre el final de la vida, así como a aplicar la orden NR y a no elegir el "destete terminal", con diferencias según el sexo y actividad laboral. La variabilidad de las opiniones locales e internacionales en las encuestas, hace difícil alcanzar un consenso sobre el tratamiento al final de la vida.

Recent studies have shown that the timing of death is often under the control of the physicians who treat the patient in intensive care unit (ICU), where death is commonly preceded by decisions either not to start an aggressive therapy or to discontinue life-sustaining therapy. The objective was to study end-of-life decisions and attitudes of Argentinian cardiologists when treating terminal patients in the ICU. During 2007, a survey by e-mail was carried out among 967 cardiologists across Argentina. The questionnaire consisted of the case scenario of a vegetative patient with no family and no advance directives, so the responsibility for decision making would depend exclusively on the physician or health care team. 72.7% answered the survey; 72.0% of physicians preferred to share decisions with other doctors or with an ethical committee, nevertheless they rarely involved nurses in decisions. Besides, 85.4% of cardiologists would apply the do-not-resuscitate order and 8% would choise the terminal weaning or extubation. Comparatively, these results were similar to those previously reported in Southern Europe. In conclusion, most physicians would decide with other doctors or would ask for an ethical consultant; in the same way, most of respondents would apply the do-not-resuscitate order, though a few times they would choise the terminal weaning or extubation. Since regional and international survey opinions on these issues remain highly variable, it seems difficult to reach a global consensus regarding end-of-life care in the ICU.

Persistent vegetative state caused by non-brain damage and its forensic assessment / 法医学杂志

Persistent vegetative state (PVS) is described as one of the complications of brain damage in the current forensic science literatures. PVS unrelated to brain damage, however, is not uncommon in daily forensic practice. Currently, only "Assessment for Body Impairment of the Injured in Road Traffic Accident" designates PVS as one of its items under the section of "Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerves Injury." Therefore, it is difficult to assess the damage and disability in PVS, especially PVS due to non-brain damage. Based on a case of PVS caused by chest injury in combination with relevant literature review, this paper provides a summary on the general information, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PVS, as well as a guideline for its forensic assessment.