[Clinical research of early goal directed sedation applying in acute brain injury].

Objective: To investigate the value and feasibility of early goal directed sedation (EGDS) in patients with acute brain injury.

Methods: A total of 110 patients with acute brain injury who were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of the Third Medical Center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2015 to March 2019 were included and randomly divided into EGDS group and standard sedation group (STD) using the random number table. Patients in the EGDS group were sedated by continuous intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine (initial dose of 0.2 μg×kg×min) for 72 consecutive hours. Patients in the STD group received intravenous bolus of propofol as appropriate clinically. Richmond agitation-sedation score (RASS) and electroencephalogram bispectral index (BIS) were used to continuously monitor the level of sedation. All patients were given sufentanil for analgesia. Routine treatments such as dehydration and reduction of intracranial pressure with mannitol, hemostasis or antiplatelet therapy were given according to the patients' condition. Vital signs, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, BIS value, artery blood gas analysis, duration of mechanical ventilation, analgesic dosage and adverse events were recorded in two groups before and 24, 48, and 72 hours after sedation.

Results: (1) Among the 110 patients, patients who received the second surgery due to cerebral hemorrhage, had worsening of cerebral hernia, withdrew during the course of the study, or whose family members abandoned treatment were excluded from the study. Finally, 105 patients were enrolled in the study, including 56 patients in the EGDS group and 49 in the STD group. There was no significant difference in gender, age, types of brain injury, baseline APACHE II or GCS score or rate of mechanical ventilation between the two groups. (2) Compared with before sedation, heart rate (HR) significantly decreased till 72 hours after sedation in both groups, and the decrease in the EGDS groups was more obvious as compared with the STD group (bpm: 70.49±7.53 vs. 79.83±9.48, P < 0.05). Besides HR, significant improvement was found in the APACHE II and GCS scores in the STD group at 72 hours of sedation as compared with before sedation, and no significant difference was found in other indicators. Compared with before sedation, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO) was significantly increased from the 24th hour of sedation, mean artery pressure (MAP) was decreased significantly and GCS score, BIS value were increased significantly from the 48th hour of sedation, till 72 hours, which were all improved significantly as compared with the STD group [72-hour PaCO (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 40.30±5.98 vs. 31.57±8.20, 72-hour MAP (mmHg): 85.01±8.26 vs. 89.54±9.41, 72-hour GCS score: 8.62±3.34 vs. 7.89±2.74, 72-hour BIS: 60.87±24.79 vs. 56.68±33.43, all P < 0.05]. APACHE II score was significantly lower only at the 72nd hour of sedation as compared with before sedation in the EGDS group, and no significant difference was found as compared with the STD group (17.10±7.05 vs. 18.90±3.32, P > 0.05). Oxygenation index (PaO/FiO) was significantly increased only at the 24th hour of sedation in the EGDS group as compared with the STD group (mmHg: 261.05±118.45 vs. 226.45±96.54, P < 0.05). (3) The duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter in the EGDS group than that in the STD group (hours: 20.56±9.03 vs. 27.75±11.23, P < 0.05), and the total administered dose of sufentanil was significantly lower in the EGDS group than that in the STD group (μg: 79.16±26.76 vs. 102.46±35.48, P < 0.05). (4) Compared with the STD group, the incidence of bradycardia in the EGDS group was increased significantly [10.71% (6/56) vs. 6.12% (3/49), P < 0.05], while the incidence of tachycardia was decreased significantly [14.29% (8/56) vs. 38.78% (19/49), P < 0.05], but no significant difference was found in the incidence of hypotension [5.36% (3/56) vs. 4.08% (2/49), P > 0.05]. The incidence of unexpected extubation in the STD group was 4.08% (2/49), which did not occurre in the EGDS group.

Conclusions: EGDS can improve the GCS score and BIS value of patients with acute brain injury, suggesting that the EGDS is safe and feasible, which can help improve neurological function in patients with acute brain injury.