Transcranial Doppler ultrasound to estimate intracranial pressure and brain perfusion pressure in pediatric neurocritical patients

Abstract

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive method that allows adequate monitoring of the different parameters that help define behaviors for intensivist physicians ; however, its use is not widespread among the medical communities that care for children with neurocritical conditions. It is the purpose of the authors to update the topic under study and present their experience with pediatric populations. The indications for this method come from research in adult patients . Multicenter studies in different clinical contexts are needed to establish this technique as a reliable diagnostic method in pediatric patients. We conclude that using transcranial Doppler as an auxiliary test in the estimation of intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure, provides the implementation of therapeutic resources in front of the patient as accurate as possible and offers the possibility of monitoring and evaluating bedside treatments in a minimally invasive way.