Brain tissue partial pressure of oxygen predicts the outcome of severe traumatic brain injury under mild hypothermia treatment

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and changes of brain tissue partial pressure of oxygen (P(bt)O(2)) in the course of mild hypothermia treatment (MHT) for treating severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). METHODS: There were 68 cases with sTBI undergoing MHT. P(bt)O(2), intracranial pressure (ICP), jugular venous oxygen saturation (S(jv)O(2)), and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were continuously monitored, and clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale score. RESULTS: Of 68 patients with sTBI, P(bt)O(2), S(jv)O(2), and CPP were obviously increased, but decreased ICP level was observed throughout the MHT. P(bt)O(2) and ICP were negatively linearly correlated, while there was a positive linear correlation between P(bt)O(2) and S(jv)O(2). Monitoring CPP and S(jv)O(2) was performed under normal circumstances, and a large proportion of patients were detected with low P(bt)O(2). Decreased P(bt)O(2) was also found after MHT. CONCLUSION: Continuous P(bt)O(2) monitoring could be introduced to evaluate the condition of regional cerebral oxygen metabolism, thereby guiding the clinical treatment and predicting the outcome.