The evolution of neurocritical care

Georgia Korbakis; Thomas Bleck

doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2014.06.001

The evolution of neurocritical care

Crit Care Clin. 2014 Oct;30(4):657-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ccc.2014.06.001. Epub 2014 Jul 29.

Authors

Georgia Korbakis¹, Thomas Bleck²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 600 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Electronic address: georgiakorbakis@gmail.com.
² Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 600 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, 600 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Rush University Medical Center, 600 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 600 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

PMID: 25257734
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccc.2014.06.001

Abstract

Although neurocritical care as a subspecialty is a relatively young field of medicine, its origins can be traced back to ancient times. This article focuses on the progression of neurocritical care from prehistoric trepanation procedures, through the development of mechanical ventilation, management of increased intracranial pressure, and traumatic brain injury, to the establishment of the first "real" intensive care units, and finally to modern monitoring in neurocritical care, management of post-cardiac arrest patients, and the diagnosis of brain death. This article also focuses on the future direction of neurocritical care.

Keywords: Critical care; Head trauma; Intracranial pressure; Neurocritical care; Neurology.

MeSH terms

Brain Injuries / therapy*
Critical Care / organization & administration*
Humans
Intensive Care Units / organization & administration*
Nervous System Diseases / therapy*
Neurology / organization & administration*
Societies, Medical / organization & administration*
United States