Effects of mild hypothermia on patients with lower intracranial pressure following severe brain injury.

Objective: To study the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on severe brain-injured patients whose intracranial pressure (ICP) could be maintained below 25 mm Hg.

Methods: Forty severe brain-injured patients with ICP below 25 mm Hg were divided randomly into one treatment group (n=20, mild hypothermia therapy) and one control group (n=20, normothermia therapy) to observe the changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acids (glutamate and glycine) and cytokines (interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6).

Results: There were no significant differences in the daily changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acid and cytokines between two groups.