Characterization of the nontraumatic neurosurgical patients in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Introduction: Caring and monitoring neurosurgical patients represents a difficult challenge for doctors working in intensive care units (ICU). These patients need intensive surveillance due to the diversity of complications that can occur in the immediate postoperative period. The neurointensive cares should allow the restoration and maintenance of brain homeostasis, as an essential requirement for neuronal survival and neurological function recovery.
Objectives: To characterize nontraumatic neurosurgical patients admitted to the ICU of General Calixto García University Hospital of Havana.
Methods: A prospective, descriptive study was carried out in the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012; the sample group was 55 patients, and the sample was made up by 55 patients.
Results: A growing trend of nontraumatic neurosurgical patient's admissions to ICU was found, predominantly male and at ages between the fifth and seventh decades of life. The neurosurgical events more frequently admitted were brain tumors, intraparenchymal bleeding, arteriovenous malformations, and cerebral aneurysms. Greater stay time and mortality were present in female patients. Complications had a significant impact on the study, particularly cerebral edemas, cardiac dysrhythmias, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) not related to infectious processes, the sepsis syndrome in its different stages, and anemias.
Conclusions: There is a growing trend of nontraumatic neurosurgical patients' admissions to the ICU.