Neuromonitoring

The monitoring of critically ill brain injured patients has become increasingly complex. Several techniques are now available for global and regional brain monitoring that provide assessment of cerebral perfusion, oxygenation and metabolic status, and early warning of impending brain hypoxia/ischaemia. Developments in multimodality monitoring have enabled a move away from rigid physiological target setting to an individually tailored, patient-specific approach to the management of acute brain injury. Multimodal monitoring generates large and complex datasets, and systems that analyse and present information in a user-friendly format at the bedside are essential to maximize its clinical relevance. This review describes current neuromonitoring techniques used during the intensive care management of acute brain injury.