Summary
Diffuse brain injury in rabbits was caused by injecting olive oil and saline into one internal carotid artery. In this report, the fourth of a series, the effects of this experimental brain injury on respiration and acid-base balance of blood are analyzed.
The animals that withstood the injury best were those that had a lower pre-traumatic pCO2; the animals that suffered a rise in intracranial pressure and succumbed to the injury quickly did so in spite of pronounced hyperventilation after the injury. Arterial pCO2 immediately before the injury was the only significant prognostic factor in this analysis. Respiratory rate only dropped immediately before respiratory arrest and death.
The findings concerning pCO2 tally with results after experimental ligation of a cerebral artery, but less so with results after other types of experimental brain injury. This emphasizes again that conclusions drawn from one type of brain injury must not be extrapolated to other types.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Battistini, N., M. Casacchia, A. Bartolini, G. Bava, and C. Fieschi, Effects of hyperventilation on focal brain damage following middle cerebral artery occlusion. In: M. Brock, C. Fieschi, D. H. Ingvar, N. A. Lassen, and K. Schuerman (eds.): Cerebral blood flow. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer. 1969.
Berman, I. R., T. B. Ducker, and R. L. Simmons, The effect of increased intracranial pressure upon the oxygenation of blood in dogs. J. Neurosurg.30 (1969), 532–536.
Brock, M., J. Beck, E. Markakis, and H. Dietz, Intracranial pressure gradients associated with experimental cerebral embolism. Stroke3 (1972), 123–130.
Crockard, H. A., D. L. Coppel, and W. F. K. Morrow, Evaluation of hyperventilation in treatment of head injuries. Brit. med. J.4 (1973), 634–640.
Froman, C., Alterations of respiratory functions in patients with severe head injuries. Brit. J. Anaesth.40 (1968), 354–360.
Frowein, R. A., Zentrale Atemstörungen bei Schädel-Hirnverletzungen und bei Hirntumoren. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer. 1963.
German, W. J., W. R. Page, and C. F. Nims, Cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption in experimental intracranial injury. Trans. Amer. Neurol. Ass.72 (1947), 86–88.
Gordon, E., The acid-base balance and oxygen tension of the cerebrospinal fluid, and their implications for the treatment of patients with brain lesions. Thesis. Stockholm. 1971.
Jennett, B., Respiratory control after acute head injury. Lancet1 (1973), 833.
Jennett, S., and J. B. North, Breathing pattern, response to pCO2 and blood gases in cats with experimental increases in intracranial pressure. In: Abstracts of the second international symposium in intracranial pressure in Lund. Malmö: Acupress. 1974.
Kaste, M., Experimental brain injury. Thesis. Helsinki. 1970.
Kuurne, T., Hydrostatically raised intracranial pressure in rabbits. Thesis. Helsinki. 1971.
Moody, R. A., S. Ruamsuke, and S. Mullan, Experimental effects of acutely increased intracranial pressure on respiration and blood gases. J. Neurosurg.30 (1969), 482–493.
Moss, I. R., A. Lisbon, F. J. Levine, and A. Wald, The effects of oncreased intracranial pressure on respiratory functions. In: Abstracts of the second international symposium in intracranial pressure in Lund. Malmö: Acupress. 1974a.
—, A. Wald, and J. Ransohoff, Respiratory functions and chemical regulation of ventilation in head injury. Am. Rev. Resp. Dis.109 (1974), 205–215. b.
Naeraa, N., Aendringer i lungefunktion og syre-base status hos bevidslöse neurokirurgiske patienter. Thesis. Aarhus. 1967.
Papo, I., Final remarks to discussion of clinical aspects of traumatic coma. J. Neurosurg. Sci.17 (1973), 304–305.
Seeger, W., Atemstörungen bei intracraniellen Massenverschiebungen. Acta Neurochir. Suppl.17 (1968).
Siggaard-Andersen, O., K. Engel, K. Jørgensen, and P. Astrup, A micromethod for determination of pH, carbon dioxide tension, base excess and standard bicarbonate in capillary blood. Scan. J. Clin. Lab. Invest.12 (1960), 172–176.
—, The pH, log pCO2 blood acid-base nomogram revised. Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest.14 (1962), 298–302.
Soloway, M., W. Nadel, M. S. Albin, and R. J. White, The effect of hyperventilation on subsequent cerebral infarction. Anesthesiology29 (1968), 975–980.
—, Effect of delayed hyperventilation on experimental cerebral infarction. Neurology21 (1971), 479–485.
Valtonen, S., and H. Troupp, Diffuse, experimental brain injury: methods, histological findings, and changes in intracranial pressure. Acta Neurochir.31 (1974), 1–9.
Vapalahti, M., Intracranial pressure, acid-base status of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and pulmonary function in the prognosis of severe brain injury. Thesis. Helsinki. 1970.
—, and H. Troupp, Prognosis for patients with severe brain injuries. Brit. med. J.3 (1971), 404–407.
Zupping, R., Cerebral acid-base and gas metabolism in brain injury. J. Neurosurg.33 (1970), 498–505.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Valtonen, S. Respiration and acid-base balance of blood after diffuse experimental brain injury. Acta neurochir 32, 3–12 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01405898
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01405898