ABSTRACT
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability for which there is currently no effective drug therapy available. Because drugs targeting a single TBI pathological pathway have failed to show clinical efficacy to date, pleiotropic agents with effects on multiple mechanisms of secondary brain damage could represent an effective option to improve brain recovery and clinical outcome in TBI patients. In this multicenter retrospective study, we investigated severity-related efficacy and safety of the add-on therapy with two concentrations (20 ml/day or 30 ml/day) of Cerebrolysin (EVER Neuro Pharma, Austria) in TBI patients. Adjunctive treatment with Cerrebrolysin started within 48 hours after TBI and clinical outcomes were ranked according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Modified Rankin Disability Score at 10 and 30 days post-TBI. Analyses of efficacy were performed separately for subgroups of patients with mild, moderate or severe TBI according to Glasgow Coma Scale scores at admission. Compared to standard medical care alone (control group), both doses of Cerebrolysin were associated with improved clinical outcome scores at 10 days post-TBI in mild patients and at 10 and 30 days in moderate and severe cases. A dose-dependent effect of Cerebrolysin on TBI recovery was supported by the dose-related differences and the significant correlations with treatment duration observed for outcome measures. The safety and tolerability of Cerebrolysin in TBI patients was very good. In conclusion, the results of this large retrospective study revealed that early Cerebrolysin treatment is safe and is associated to improved TBI outcome.
Subject(s)
Amino Acids/therapeutic use , Brain Injuries/drug therapy , Neuroprotective Agents/therapeutic use , Treatment Outcome , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Cohort Studies , Disability Evaluation , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neurologic Examination , Severity of Illness Index , Time Factors , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The present study proposes to present the importance of perioperative therapeutic management in survival prolongation and the quality of life for patients that have undergone surgery for cerebral metastases secondary to pulmonary tumors. METHOD: During 2001-2009, 40 patients with ages between 43-74 years have been diagnosed in our clinic with pulmonary tumor and cerebral metastases. The patients presented single cerebral lesion (excepting one patient with 2 cerebral metastases) and pulmonary tumor. Intracranial pressure (ICP) was high in all cases. All patients have undergone operation with general anesthesia. RESULTS: For all patients the reduction of ICP and keeping an optimal CPP (cerebral perfusion pressure) was pursued. In 38 cases, general anesthesia was performed with Sevoflurane and opioids (fentanyl, remifentanyl, sufentanyl) and in 2 cases the TIVA (total intravenous anesthesia) technique was used with propofol and remifentanyl. 14 of the patients required intraoperative depletive treatment through administering mannitol 20%. 37 patients (92%) have been discharged with improved neurological condition without showing signs of intracranial hypertension, convulsive seizures and with partially or totally remitted hemiparesis and one patient had worse postoperative neurological status. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary tumor with cerebral metastases represent an important cause for death rate. To solve secondary cerebral lesions, the perioperative management must include assesment and choosing an anesthesia technique with a proper intraoperative management.
