Early assessment of aspiration risk in acute stroke by fiberoptic endoscopy in critically ill patients.

Background: Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) has been recommended to assess aspiration in stroke. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic and prognostic roles of FEES in the early assessment of aspiration, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and mortality in acute stroke patients.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with acute stroke admitted to the Alexandria Main University Hospital were included.

A Horned Viper Bite Victim with PRES.

Neurological complications of snake bites have been well documented in the literature as neuromuscular paralysis and cerebrovascular complications; posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome was rarely described. A 23-year-old lady presented near full term of her pregnancy with a horned snake bite; after successful delivery she started complaining of altered mental status and visual disturbance with ulceration over the site of the snake bite. On admission, the patient had Glasgow Coma Score of 12, blood pressure 130/80 mmHg, temperature 38°C, sinus tachycardia at 120 beats per minute, severe dehydration, and reduction in visual acuity to "hand motion" in both eyes with poor light projection and sluggish pupillary reactions.

A meta-analysis of the effect of different neuroprotective drugs in management of patients with traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury is a major problem worldwide. Our objective is to synthesize available evidence in the literature concerning the effectiveness of neuroprotective drugs (cerebrolysin, citicoline, and piracetam) on Glasgow outcome score (GOS), cognitive performance, and survival in traumatic brain injury patients. Comprehensive search of electronic databases, search engines, and conferences proceedings; hand search journals; searching reference lists of relevant articles, theses, and local publications; and contact of authors for incomplete data were performed.

Health care workers' knowledge and practices regarding the prevention of central venous catheter-related infection.

Background: Central venous catheter-related infection (CVC-RI) is considered a common cause of increased morbidity, mortality, and medical care costs in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective in this descriptive study was to assess the knowledge of health care workers in ICUs about guidelines for the prevention of CVC-RI and their adherence to these guidelines in practices.

Methods: Health care workers were assessed for their actual practices during central venous catheter (CVC) insertion and care.

The FOUR score predicts mortality, endotracheal intubation and ICU length of stay after traumatic brain injury.

Background: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most widely accepted scale for assessing levels of consciousness, clinical status, as well as prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. The Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score is a new coma scale developed addressing the limitations of the GCS. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to compare the performance of the FOUR score vs.

Carotid and cerebral angiography performed by cardiologists: cerebrovascular complications.

The management of extracranial carotid artery disease is primarily concerned with the prevention of acute stroke. In order to understand the current risks of carotid angiography performed by interventional cardiologists, we undertook a retrospective study to determine the neurologic complications in patients who underwent selective cerebral angiography. All patients undergoing studies that were limited to diagnostic aortic arch angiography and selective four-vessel cerebral angiography in the cardiac catheterization laboratories during the past 6 years were included in this study.