Experimental model of intracranial hypertension with continuous multiparametric monitoring in swine.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial hypertension (IH) develops in approximately 50% of all patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Therefore, it is very important to identify a suitable animal model to study and understand the pathophysiology of refractory IH to develop effective treatments. METHODS: We describe a new experimental porcine model designed to simulate expansive brain hematoma causing IH. Under anesthesia, IH was simulated with a balloon insufflation. The IH variables were measured with intracranial pressure (ICP) parenchymal monitoring, epidural, cerebral oximetry, and transcranial Doppler (TCD). RESULTS: None of the animals died during the experiment. The ICP epidural showed a slower rise compared with parenchymal ICP. We found a correlation between ICP and cerebral oximetry. CONCLUSION: The model described here seems useful to understand some of the pathophysiological characteristics of acute IH.