Delayed hyperemia causing intracranial hypertension after cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Abstract

Delayed hyperemia occurs in humans after resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Our data suggest that this delayed hyperemia can lead to intracranial hypertension and occasionally acute brain swelling, contributing to a poor outcome. A high mean flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery with a low ratio of mean flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery to mean flow velocity of the internal carotid artery may be predictive of critical hyperemia. As an indirect method of measuring cerebral blood flow transcranial Doppler sonography can be used to adjust treatment for failure of cerebral perfusion after resuscitation.