Central nervous system monitoring: What helps, what does not

Monitoring of CNS function in the intensive care unit can make a difference in the clinical outcome. No single technique addresses the multiple issues that may arise, especially in the polytrauma patient. Multimodality equipment combining assessment of cerebral blood flow, electrophysiologic parameters, and intracranial pressure when appropriate with cardiac and respiratory monitors are being developed. Pending their evaluation, selected use of intracranial pressure monitoring combined with EEG and transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound provides reliable immediate assessment and continued monitoring of CNS structures.