Early Heart Rate Variability and Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in Acutely Brain-Injured Children Who Progress to Brain Death.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Heart rate variability is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. After brain death, this autonomic control stops, and heart rate variability is significantly decreased. However, it is unknown if early changes in heart rate variability are predictive of progression to brain death. We hypothesized that in brain-injured children, lower heart rate variability is an early indicator of autonomic system failure, and it predicts progression to brain death. We additionally explored the association between heart rate variability and markers of brain dysfunction such as electroencephalogram and neurologic examination between brain-injured children who progressed to brain death and those who survived.

Design

Retrospective case-control study.

Setting

PICU, single i

SUBMITTER: Piantino JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6660831 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature