Citation

Vermaelen J, Greiffenstein P, deBoisblanc BP. Crit. Care Clin. 2015; 31(3): 551-561.

Affiliation

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, Suite 3205, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ccc.2015.03.012

PMID

26118920

Abstract

More than one-half million patients are hospitalized annually for traumatic brain injury (TBI). One-quarter demonstrate sleep-disordered breathing, up to 50% experience insomnia, and half have hypersomnia. Sleep disturbances after TBI may result from injury to sleep-regulating brain tissue, nonspecific neurohormonal responses to systemic injury, ICU environmental interference, and medication side effects. A diagnosis of sleep disturbances requires a high index of suspicion and appropriate testing. Treatment starts with a focus on making the ICU environment conducive to normal sleep. Treating sleep-disordered breathing likely has outcome benefits in TBI. The use of sleep promoting sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics should be judicious.

Language: en