Thromboelastometry as a Comprehensive Assessment of Hypercoagulation After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage after cerebral aneurysm rupture (aSAH) leads to delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in 25-35% of surviving patients. It is believed that DCI has a multifactorial etiology, including vasospasm. Furthermore, aSAH is associated with the development of hypercoagulation and microthrombosis; thus, its pharmacological correction may help to prevent DCI. We encountered a case where hypercoagulation was detected using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), although the standard coagulation test results were within the normal ranges. Based on reviews of viscoelastic tests in cases of aSAH, ROTEM could be more sensitive to hypercoagulation after aSAH, compared to standard coagulation testing.

Postsurgical meningitis complicated by severe refractory intracranial hypertension with limited treatment options: the role of mild therapeutic hypothermia.

Intracranial hypertension is a commonly encountered neurocritical care problem. If first-tier therapy is ineffective, second-tier therapy must be initiated. In many cases, the full arsenal of established treatment options is available. However, situations occasionally arise in which only a narrow range of options is available to neurointensivists. We present a rare clinical scenario in which therapeutic hypothermia was the only available method for controlling intracranial pressure and that demonstrates the efficacy and safety of the Thermogard (Zoll, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, United States) cooling system in creating and maintaining a prolonged hypothermic state. The lifesaving effect of hypothermia was overshadowed by the unfavorable neurologic outcome observed (minimally conscious state on intensive care unit discharge). These results add further evidence to support the role of therapeutic hypothermia in managing intracranial pressure and provide motivation for finding new strategies in combination with hypothermia to improve neurologic outcomes.