Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute brain injury

In about 20% of patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) the indication of mechanical ventilation (MV) is a neurological disease. These patients have a prolonged MV stay and high mortality. The appropriate use of MV in patients with acute brain injury (ABI) is critical considering that MV by itself is able to induce or worsen an underlying lung injury. Patients with ABI have a higher risk to develop pulmonary complications. During endotracheal intubation the activation of airway reflexes should be prevented, because they may increase intracranial pressure. Tracheostomy is indicated to improve airway management and it is performed in about 33% of these patients. Indications for MV are loss of spontaneous respiratory effort, changes in lung compliance, gas exchange impairment and ventilatory failure due to muscle fatigue or neuromuscular junction dysfunction. During MV, hypoxemia should be avoided. The pCO(2) level has a critical role in cerebral blood flow regulation; therefore a normal pCO(2) must be maintained in order to guarantee an optimal cerebral blood flow. Despite that, hypocapnia has been used in patients with increased intracranial pressure, at the present it is not recommended. Its use should be limited to the emergency management of intracranial hypertension, while the underlying cause is being treated. Non-conventional ventilatory modes as prone position ventilation, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and extracorporeal CO2 removal can be used in patients with ABI. All of them have specific risks and should be employed cautiously. This paper reviews upper airway management and MV in patients with acute brain injury (Rev Med Chile 2011; 139: 382-390).