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Optic nerve sheath measurement and raised intracranial pressure in paediatric traumatic brain injury

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

The optimal management of children ventilated for more than 4 h with traumatic brain injury (TBI) necessitates invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, though some patients never have raised ICP. If non-invasive screening can reliably rule out elevated ICP, invasive devices can be limited to those in whom neuro-intensive care measures are indicated.

Materials and methods

We measured the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) with a 10-MHz ultrasound probe in 11 children (age range 2–15 years, median 9.2 years) with severe TBI admitted to a regional neuro-surgical paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) requiring ICP monitoring and neuro-protection. Simultaneous invasive ICP was recorded and more than 15 mmHg was considered to be abnormal. ONSD >4.5 mm in children over 1 year of age was considered to be abnormal.

Results and conclusions

All children with clinically significantly raised ICP had abnormal ONSD, whereas those with normal ICP did not. Despite the small numbers, this study suggests that the ONSD may be useful in identifying children with TBI and normal ICP and, so, help avoid the insertion of unnecessary ICP monitors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 3JH, UK

    S. Agrawal & J. Brierley

  2. PICU, St. Mary’s Hospital, London, W2 1NY, UK

    S. Agrawal

Authors
  1. S. Agrawal
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  2. J. Brierley
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Correspondence to S. Agrawal.

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Agrawal, S., Brierley, J. Optic nerve sheath measurement and raised intracranial pressure in paediatric traumatic brain injury. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 38, 75–77 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-011-0093-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-011-0093-6

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