1. Brain interstitial glycerol correlates with evolving brain injury in paediatric traumatic brain injury
- Author
-
J.M.N. Enslin, Nqobile S Thango, Anthony Figaji, Lindizwe Dlamini, M. Phophi Tshavhungwe, Ursula K. Rohlwink, Shamiel Salie, and E. Banderker
- Subjects
Oncology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Traumatic brain injury ,Retrospective cohort study ,General Medicine ,Oxygenation ,medicine.disease ,Pathophysiology ,Lesion ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Internal medicine ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Glycerol ,medicine ,Neurology (clinical) ,Neurosurgery ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Intracranial pressure - Abstract
A better understanding of the complex pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is needed to improve our current therapies. Cerebral microdialysis (CMD) is an advanced method to monitor the brain, but little is known about its parameters in children. Brain glycerol, one of the CMD variables, is an essential component of the phospholipid bilayer cell membrane and is considered a useful marker of tissue hypoxia in adults. This study examined the time course of glycerol and its associations in paediatric TBI. In this retrospective cohort study, we collected data on children ( 30% (p=0.01, p=0.04 and p=0.004). Absolute glycerol values had a weak but statistically significant association with intracranial pressure and brain oxygenation. We did not find an association with clinical outcome. This is the first study to provide data on brain interstitial glycerol in children. CMD glycerol, particularly an increase from baseline, is associated with other markers of injury and with a significant increase in lesion size on repeat head CT. As such, it may represent a useful monitorable marker for evolving injury in paediatric TBI.
- Published
- 2021