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The following is a summary of “Transesophageal echocardiography and intracerebral pressure (ICP) in neurocritical care patients – An observational study,” published in the February 2025 issue of Journal of Critical Care by Roth et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the potential effect of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) on intracerebral pressure (ICP).
They continuously monitored ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) before, during, and after TEE. The first 10 patients were positioned in the left lateral position (left lateral tilt group = LLTG), while further patients were examined in the supine position (supine position group = SPG).
The results showed that 20 patients with a median age of 59 ± 20.1 years participated. The median baseline ICP was 9 ± 4.3 mmHg in the LLTG and 4 ± 5.1 mmHg in the SPG. A substantial increase in ICP from baseline to TEE was observed only in LLTG (P = 0.013). Additionally, the procedure duration was significantly longer in the LLTG (14.5 minutes) compared to the SPG (9.5 minutes) (P = 0.002).
Investigators concluded that the TEE temporarily increased ICP, likely due to lateral positioning, and should be performed supine in patients with critically elevated ICP.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883944124004155
