View clinical trials related to Cerebral Edema.
Filter by:Osmotherapy consists in the therapeutic use of osmotically active substances with the aim of reducing the volume and therefore the intracranial pressure. It therefore represents an essential component in the clinical management of cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension, whether they are a consequence of head trauma, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and neoplasm or neurosurgical procedures. The current study aims at evaluating in vivo the effects on haemostasis parameters of hypertonic saline solutions at different concentration, as compared to mannitol, in patients with neuroradiological signs (CT / MRI) of cerebral edema / non-traumatic intracranial hypertension.
Many patients with traumatic brain injuries (including strokes, blood clots, or other brain injuries) are given concentrated salt water solutions (hypertonic saline) in order to treat brain swelling (cerebral edema). Current therapies consist of a mixture of sodium and chloride, which can lead to high levels of serum chloride and increased total body water. High levels of chloride can cause acidosis, which can cause the body to function sub-optimally. Therefore, the investigators are proposing to use two concentrated solutions in these patients at the same time that will allow for a lower total volume of solution administration and reduce the rise in chloride to prevent acidosis. The main outcome will therefore be the patients sodium level, chloride level and serum pH.
Stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (second worldwide) and a leading cause of long-term disability, resulting in total direct and indirect costs of approximately $73.7 billion annually. The failure of novel therapies in clinical trials demonstrates that the complex neural response to stroke must be targeted at multiple levels to improve patient outcomes. Despite significant improvements in stroke treatment and management, 1 year survival rate among stroke patients aged 65 years or more is around 25%, and 5- year survival rate amounts to approximately 50%. The highest chances of death are within 30 days of stroke. Mortality increases due to worsening brain dysfunction, elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), and other comorbid conditions. Treatments aimed at reducing post-stroke cytotoxic edema may reduce the risk for development of malignant stroke and mortality. Current treatments such as osmo-therapy and hemicraniectomy have substantial limitations, and mortality remains high, despite these measures outcomes remain unsatisfactory. There is a great need for alternative medical approaches which are safe, predictable, and help to ameliorate post stroke edema.
Cerebral edema is seen heterogenous group of neurological disease states that mainly fall under the categories of metabolic, infectious, neoplasia, cerebrovascular, and traumatic brain injury disease states. Regardless of the driving force, cerebral edema is defined as the accumulation of fluid in the brain's intracellular and extracellular spaces. This occurs secondary to alterations in the complex interplay between four distinct fluid compartments within the cranium. In any human cranium; fluid is contained in the blood, the cerebrospinal fluid, interstitial fluid of the brain parenchyma, and the intracellular fluid of the neurons and glia. Fluid movement occurs normally between these compartments and depends on specific concentrations of solutes (such as sodium) and water. In brain-injured states, the normal regulation of this process is disturbed and cerebral edema can develop. Cerebral edema leads to increased intracranial pressure and mortality secondary to brain tissue compression, given the confines of the fixed-volume cranium. Additionally, secondary neuronal dysfunction or death can occur at the cellular level secondary to the disruption of ion gradients that control metabolism and function. While studies utilizing bolus dosing of hyperosmolar therapy to target signs or symptoms of increased intracranial pressure secondary to cerebral edema are numerous, there is a paucity of studies relating to continuous infusion of hyperosmolar therapy for targeted sustained hypernatremia for the prevention and treatment of cerebral edema. The investigators hypothesize that induced, sustained hypernatremia following traumatic brain injury will decrease the rate of cerebral edema formation and improve patient outcomes.