The impact of neurocritical patient transfer on outcomes: retrospective analysis of practice in the largest neurosurgical centre in Lithuania.

Introduction: Critical neurological conditions require urgent assessment and treatment. The quality of care and treatment provided during the transportation is important and related to the outcome of critically ill patients. We aimed to assess the quality of interhospital transportation of neurocritical patients in the largest neurosurgical cluster in Lithuania and identify possible outcome prediction variables.

Early association between respiratory mechanics and radiological changes in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The chest X-ray (CXR) Brixia scoring system was developed exclusively for COVID-19 severity assessment. However, no association between the score and respiratory mechanics during mechanical ventilation has been examined. Our aim was to evaluate the association between the CXR Brixia score and respiratory mechanics on the first day of mechanical ventilation in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in a Young Adult (MIC-A) Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) is a rare but increasingly recognized complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually presenting 2 to 6 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 infection symptoms and affecting mainly children. However, there have been reported several cases of a similar multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A). We describe the case of a previously healthy 28-year-old male who presented with a clinical profile with multiorgan involvement within four weeks after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggestive for multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-A).

SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Sex-Related Differences, and a Possible Personalized Treatment Approach with Valproic Acid: A Review.

Sex differences identified in the COVID-19 pandemic are necessary to study. It is essential to investigate the efficacy of the drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19, and to analyse the sex-related beneficial and adverse effects. The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) is a potential drug that could be adapted to prevent the progression and complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Establishing prognostic significance of hypoxia predictors in patients with acute cerebral pathology.

Objectives: This research aims to study the prognostic role of serum S100 as a predictor of mortality in vascular and traumatic brain injuries.

Methods: This prospective cohort study involved 219 patients. In the blood serum, neuron-specific markers (S100, NSE) and glucose, acid-base state and gas composition of arterial blood were obtained at admission, on the 3rd, 5th and 7th days of patients' stay in the intensive care unit.

Implementing of Active Brain-Dead Donor Identification Strategy in a Single Donor Center: One Year Experience.

Organ shortage is considered to be a major limitation for increasing transplantation rates. Brain-dead donors (DBDs) are an important source of organs, but up to 50% of potential DBDs might not be identified. An active brain-dead donor search could potentially increase a deceased donor pool.

Implementation of Thromboelastometry for Coagulation Management in Isolated Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Undergoing Craniotomy.

BACKGROUND Coagulopathy (CP) is a modifiable factor linked with secondary brain damage and poor outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI). A shift towards goal-directed coagulation management has been observed recently. We investigated whether rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) based management could be successfully implemented in TBI patients and improve outcomes.

Alterations of conjunctival glycocalyx and microcirculation in non-septic critically ill patients.

As of now the relationship between glycocalyx degradation and microcirculatory perfusion abnormalities in non-septic critical ill patients is unclear. In addition, conjunctival sidestream dark field-imaging for the purpose of glycocalyx thickness estimation has never been performed. We aimed to investigate whether changes in glycocalyx thickness in non-septic patients are associated with microcirculatory alterations in conjunctival and sublingual mucosa.

Conjunctival microcirculatory blood flow is altered but not abolished in brain dead patients: a prospective observational study.

Background: The conjunctival microcirculation has potential as a window to cerebral perfusion due to related blood supply, close anatomical proximity and easy accessibility for microcirculatory imaging technique, such as sidestream dark field (SDF) imaging. Our study aims to evaluate conjunctival and sublingual microcirculation in brain dead patients and to compare it with healthy volunteers in two diametrically opposed conditions: full stop versus normal arterial blood supply to the brain.

Methods: In a prospective observational study we analyzed conjunctival and sublingual microcirculation using SDF imaging in brain dead patients after reaching systemic hemodynamic targets to optimize perfusion of donor organs, and in healthy volunteers.