Evaluation of the Safety of Inhaled Sedation With Isoflurane in Head Trauma Patients

Summary

Intensive care management of patient with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) includes deep and prolonged sedation with intravenous hypnotics (propofol, midazolam, ketamine) in combination with opioids to prevent and/or treat episodes of intracranial hypertension. However, some patients may develop tachyphylaxis with a gradual increase of administered intravenous hypnotics and opioids to maintain the same level of sedation. This situation leads to a failure in controlling intracranial pressure (ICP) and/or to the risk of adverse effects due to high-dose sedatives: haemodynamic instability, prolonged mechanical ventilation, neuromyopathy, delirium, withdrawal syndrome. Halogenated agents (Isoflurane, Sevoflurane) are a class of hypnotics routinely used in the operating room. However, doses used in surgical patients (\> 1 Minimal Alveolar Concentration, MAC) are not suitable in neuro-intensive care unit (ICU) patients at risk of intracranial hypertension because of the cerebral vasodilator effects of halogenated agents at this dosage, hence the risk of high ICP and compromised cerebral perfusion pressure. The use of halogenated agents has been recently possible in the ICU through dedicated medical devices (Sedaconda ACD, Mirus). Recommended dosage are lower in the ICU, i.e. 0.3-0.7 MAC, because of their association with intravenous hypnotics and the absence of surgical stimuli. Several clinical studies in general ICUs showed improved sedation quality, reduced duration of mechanical ventilation, faster arousal and shorter extubation time, and lower costs in halogenated group compared with control group receiving midazolam or propofol. At low doses, the effects on ICP and intracerebral haemodynamics of halogenated agents are minor according to the available literature. In addition, beneficial effects were found on cerebral ischaemic volume in animal models treated with halogenated agents. However, there is a need to explore the benefit-risk ratio of the use of halogenated agents in the severe TBI population. The investigator hypothesise that 0.7 MAC Isoflurane can be administered in this population without deleterious effect on ICP.

Timeline

Start

2024-06-20

Primary completion

2026-06-20

Completion

2027-03-20

Publications

• Background Meiser A, Volk T, Wallenborn J, Guenther U, Becher T, Bracht H, Schwarzkopf K, Knafelj R, Faltlhauser A, Thal SC, Soukup J, Kellner P, Druner M, Vogelsang H, Bellgardt M, Sackey P; Sedaconda study group. Inhaled isoflurane via the anaesthetic conserving device versus propofol for sedation of invasively ventilated patients in intensive care units in Germany and Slovenia: an open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2021 Nov;9(11):1231-1240. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00323-4. Epub 2021 Aug 26.
• Background Bosel J, Purrucker JC, Nowak F, Renzland J, Schiller P, Perez EB, Poli S, Brunn B, Hacke W, Steiner T. Volatile isoflurane sedation in cerebrovascular intensive care patients using AnaConDa((R)): effects on cerebral oxygenation, circulation, and pressure. Intensive Care Med. 2012 Dec;38(12):1955-64. doi: 10.1007/s00134-012-2708-8. Epub 2012 Oct 25.
• Background Villa F, Iacca C, Molinari AF, Giussani C, Aletti G, Pesenti A, Citerio G. Inhalation versus endovenous sedation in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients: effects on regional cerebral blood flow. Crit Care Med. 2012 Oct;40(10):2797-804. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31825b8bc6.
• Background Codaccioni JL, Velly LJ, Moubarik C, Bruder NJ, Pisano PS, Guillet BA. Sevoflurane preconditioning against focal cerebral ischemia: inhibition of apoptosis in the face of transient improvement of neurological outcome. Anesthesiology. 2009 Jun;110(6):1271-8. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3181a1fe68.
• Background Aubanel S, Bruiset F, Chapuis C, Chanques G, Payen JF. Therapeutic options for agitation in the intensive care unit. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. 2020 Oct;39(5):639-646. doi: 10.1016/j.accpm.2020.01.009. Epub 2020 Aug 7.

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