A study of brain temperature in patients with severe head injuries

Abstract

The significance of brain temperature was investigated in patients with severe head injuries. In thirty patients in a state of coma due to severe head injury (Glasgow coma scale of less than 8), brain temperature (Tb), rectal temperature (Tr), and intracranial pressure (ICP) were measured. In 21 out of these patients, cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by means of transcranial Doppler effect (TCD), and pulsatility index (PI) was calculated from TCD findings. The outcome was assessed by the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) 1 month after the head injury. The patients were classified into 4 groups according to the differences (delta T) between Tb and Tr. Group I (11 patients) was defined as always having a higher Tb than Tr, Group II (14) as always having a higher Tr than Tb, Group III (3) was as having no significant differences between Tb and Tr, and Group IV (2) was as having delta T change from plus to minus or from minus to plus during the course of monitoring. As regards the intracranial lesions, no significant differences among these groups were recognized. P.I, at 6 hours after operation, was 1.1 +/- 0.1 (N = 10) in Group I, and was 3.4 +/- 1.9 (N = 9) in Group II. The difference between these two values was statistically significant. The outcome of Group I was better than that of the other groups. The brain temperature is thought to reflect the CBF in the human brain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)