RESUMO
South America is a subcontinent with 393 million inhabitants with widely distinct countries and diverse ethnicities, cultures, political and societal organizations. The epidemiological transition that accompanied the technological and demographic evolution is happening in South America and leading to a rise in the incidence of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases that now coexist with the still high burden of infectious diseases. South America is also quite heterogeneous regarding the existence of systems of care for the various neurological emergencies, with some countries having well-organized systems for some diseases, while others have no plan of action for the care of patients with acute neurological symptoms. In this article, we discuss the existing systems of care in different countries of South America for the treatment of neurological emergencies, mainly stroke, status epilepticus, and traumatic brain injury. We also will address existing gaps between the current systems and recommendations from the literature to improve the management of such emergencies, as well as strategies on how to solve these disparities.
Assuntos
Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas/terapia , Atenção à Saúde , Estado Epiléptico/terapia , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/terapia , Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas/epidemiologia , Cuidados Críticos , Emergências/epidemiologia , Serviços Médicos de Emergência , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Humanos , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva , Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , América do Sul/epidemiologia , Estado Epiléptico/epidemiologia , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/epidemiologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Anemia adversely affects cerebral oxygenation and metabolism after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is also associated with poor outcome. There is limited evidence to support the use of packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion to optimize brain homeostasis after SAH. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of transfusion on cerebral oxygenation and metabolism in patients with SAH. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study in a neurological intensive care unit of a university hospital. Nineteen transfusions were studied in 15 consecutive patients with SAH that underwent multimodality monitoring (intracranial pressure, brain tissue oxygen, and cerebral microdialysis). Data were collected at baseline and for 12 h after transfusion. The relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) change and lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) orbrain tissue oxygen (PbtO2) was tested using univariate and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: PRBC transfusion was administered on the median post-bleed day 8. The average Hb concentration at baseline was 8.1 g/dL and increased by 2.2 g/dL after transfusion. PbtO2 increased between hours 2 and 4 post-transfusion and this increase was maintained until hour 10. LPR did not change significantly during the 12-h monitoring period. After adjusting for SpO2, cerebral perfusion pressure, and LPR, the change in Hb concentration was independently and positively associated with a change in PbtO2 (adjusted b estimate = 1.39 [95% confidence interval 0.09-2.69]; P = 0.04). No relationship between the change in Hb concentration and LPR was found. CONCLUSIONS: PRBC transfusion resulted in PbtO2 improvement without a clear effect on cerebral metabolism prior to SAH.