Therapeutic hypothermia in brain trauma injury: controversies

• Main Authors: Hernando Raphael Alvis-Miranda, Gabriel Alcala-Cerra, Andres M. Rubiano, Omar Ramirez, Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Academic Publishing 2014-09-01
• Series: Romanian Neurosurgery
• Subjects: Hypothermia; traumatic brain injury; intracranial hypertension
• Online Access: https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/roneurosurgery/article/view/758

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of death and disability in developed countries. It is a major cause of mortality in young patients worldwide. Intracranial hypertension is the cause of death in more than 80% of patients with TBI. When secondary lesions occur, start a number of mechanisms that increase the metabolic injury to brain tissue. Induction of hypothermia has been shown to alter the natural course of the disease process. The biological foundations suggest that hypothermia may have a potential benefit, although some publications have shown no improvement, it is clear that in a group of mostly young patients, early hypothermia may be beneficial. We present a practical review of the literature on this subject.