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From the Neurology/Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit, Washington
University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo (E.M.M., M.N.D.); Neurovascular
Stroke Service, University of California at San Francisco (D.R.G.); and Acute
Stroke Service and Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass (L.H.S., C.S.O.).
Correspondence to Edward M. Manno, MD, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Campus Box 8111, 660 S Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110. E-mail mannoe{at}neuro.wustl.edu
MethodsTwenty-eight patients were studied during the induction
and withdrawal of hypertension using primarily
phenylephrine. Continuous monitoring was performed on the
middle cerebral artery with the highest flow velocity. Treatment was
based on rising TCD velocities or clinical evidence for cerebral
vasospasm. Mean arterial pressure and mean TCD velocities
were recorded every minute. A change of >15% from starting TCD
values was considered significant. Cerebral autoregulation was
calculated as a percentage of intact autoregulation. Patients were
subsequently divided into groups of disturbed and intact
autoregulation.
ResultsIn 10 of 19 patients (53%), TCD velocities changed by
>15% and paralleled changes in mean arterial
pressure. This directly altered the TCD interpretation of the grade of
vasospasm in 7 of 19 patients (36%). Three additional patients had
smaller absolute changes in TCD velocities. No clinical difference
could be identified between patients with disturbed and intact
autoregulation.
ConclusionsIn patients with disturbed autoregulation after
subarachnoid hemorrhage, induced hypertension can alter
cerebral blood flow velocities. The level of autoregulation needs to be
considered when interpreting TCD velocities in patients after
subarachnoid hemorrhage.
TCD is a noninvasive means of measuring flow velocities in the basal
cerebral arteries and is used routinely to detect
vasospasm.4 5 Traditionally, rising TCD
velocities have been interpreted as signifying progressive vessel
narrowing and have been used by some centers to guide medical
therapies. More recently, TCD velocities have been shown to parallel
changes in CBF and have been used to assess cerebral
autoregulation.6 Because cerebral autoregulation
may be disturbed in patients after SAH, it is possible that the medical
maneuvers designed to increase CBF (ie, induced hypertension, volume
loading) may increase TCD velocities and complicate the interpretation
of TCD data. Despite this possible complication, TCD velocities have
not been studied during hemodynamic manipulation.
To define this relationship, we performed continuous TCD monitoring of
patients after SAH. Velocities were monitored during the induction and
withdrawal of induced hypertension and compared with velocity changes
that would occur naturally over a similar time period without
hemodynamic manipulation. The purpose of this study is
to assess whether induced hypertension could result in increased TCD
velocities that could be misinterpreted as worsening vasospasm.
Exclusion criteria were (1) patients intolerant of pressors due to
hemodynamic instability (ie, congestive heart failure,
acute myocardial infarction); (2) baseline TCD values that could not be
established due to continued cyclic variations; and (3) cyclic
variations >15% of baseline TCD values (see below).
A total of 36 studies were performed on 24 patients. Twenty-eight
studies were performed on 19 patients at the time of induction and/or
withdrawal of induced hypertension. The control group consisted of 8
patients who were monitored during a period of time when
hemodynamic manipulation was not performed. In 7
control patients, no drug was present at the time of study. In 1
patient, pressors were present but not adjusted during the time of
study. Three patients were monitored at a separate time during
hemodynamic manipulation and thus served in both
control and experimental groups. All patients were monitored in the
neurological intensive care unit with invasive arterial
pressure monitors, central venous or pulmonary artery
catheters, and when appropriate, intracranial pressure monitors. Daily
TCD recordings were performed under conditions of eucapnea
confirmed by arterial blood gas sampling just before the
study. All patients were afebrile at the time of study. For each
patient demographic data, location of aneurysm, side of study,
Hunt-Hess grade, and Fisher grade on presentation were
recorded. The study was approved by the Human Studies Committee of
the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Routine management of the patients included 60 mg nimodipine PO every 4
hours, 100 mg phenytoin PO/IV every 8 hours, and early surgery (day 1
to 3) to repair the aneurysm.7
Hydrocephalus was treated with a ventriculostomy. After
aneurysm repair, patients were given 250 mL of 5%
albumin every 4 hours and isotonic saline as needed to maintain
either a central venous pressure of >9 or a capillary wedge pressure
of >14 mm Hg. The decision to initiate treatment for vasospasm
was based on rising TCD velocities (see below), angiographic evidence
of vasospasm, or the onset of delayed ischemic deficits.
Induced Hypertension
TCD Monitoring
Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation
Statistical Analysis
Table 2
In 10 of 19 patients (53%), TCD velocities changed >15% during the
induction or withdrawal of pressors (P<.001 Mann-Whitney
U). TCD velocities remained constant in the patients
in whom blood pressure was not manipulated The changes in velocities
that occurred during pressure manipulation were large enough to move 7
of 19 patients (36%) into another category of vasospasm.
Thirteen of 19 patients (63%) were judged to have impaired cerebral
autoregulation at least once during continuous MCA TCD monitoring.
These changes occurred over a range of 4 to 15 days after SAH. There
was no difference in percentage of cerebral autoregulation when either
CPP or MAP was used to calculate cerebral autoregulation in those
patients that had intracranial pressure monitoring available.
There was no significant difference in age, presenting clinical
status, or experimental conditions between patients grouped according
to whether autoregulation was intact or disturbed.
This direct effect of blood pressure on TCD velocities indicates a loss
of cerebral autoregulation. Cerebral autoregulation has been shown to
be impaired after SAH in both animals14 15 16 and
humans,17 18 with the extent of impairment
related to the degree of vessel narrowing19 or
the clinical condition of the patient.18 19 TCD
ultrasound has been used to assess cerebral autoregulation in a
post-SAH population. Giller20 used a transient
hyperemic response to carotid compression as a qualitative
means to test cerebral autoregulation in patients after SAH. A
computerized version of this response found a positive correlation
between loss of autoregulation and worsening neurological
status.21
The use of TCD flow velocities to estimate actual blood flow requires
that the vessel diameter remains unchanged and that the perfusion
territory of a given artery remains constant.22
It is possible that the medications used to induce hypertension may
have had a direct effect on the cerebral vessels confounding our
results. We doubt that any of the medications used would have had a
significant effect of the cerebral vessels because
There are a number of factors that may confound our results. Cyclic
fluctuation of TCD velocities during continuous monitoring has been
described and is thought to reflect phasic dilation and contraction of
small distal regulating arteries.8 We noted
similar variations in a majority of our population. The variations
noted, however, were variable in onset and duration and averaged
only 9% of baseline TCD values. We attempted to control for these by
establishing baselines without variations and eliminating patients with
large cyclic variations. In all cases, cyclic variations were
significantly smaller than the mean change in TCD velocities. It is
possible that in a few cases changes in CO2 could
account for variations in TCD velocities. However, we believe this to
be highly unlikely because patient heart rate, temperature, and
respiratory rate were monitored closely and did not change during the
period of observation.
Many authors have expressed concern about using TCD alone to estimate
blood flow.27 28 The ratio of the extracranial
internal carotid artery mean flow velocity to the MCA mean flow
velocity has been used to distinguish hyperemia from vessel
narrowing.29 Romner et al30
reported a good correlation with this ratio and CBF in six head trauma
patients. The lack of Lindegaard ratios represents a limitation
of this work. This limitation, however, is attenuated by our control
group, which demonstrated that vessel narrowing did not occur during
the period of observation. Therefore, increases in flow velocity must
be secondary to increases in volume flow. Theoretically, Lindegaard
ratios should verify this response; however, like other authors, we
found these ratios difficult to use in our intensive care unit
population. We abandoned the use of these ratios because of concerns
that the insonation angle of the extracranial internal carotid artery
could not be reliably reproduced in the
neck.28 31
We were unable to define a demographic or clinical feature that was
predictive of which patients may have had disturbed autoregulation.
Because this was designed as an observational study of the clinical
practice at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where treatment of
vasospasm was based on TCD velocities, many patients did not have
cerebral autoregulation assessed. A more structured protocol might have
been better able to delineate the time course and clinical factors
involved in determining which patients may have disturbed
autoregulation.
There are important implications of the observation that TCD velocities
change when blood pressure is manipulated. Increasing MCA TCD flow
velocities in patients being treated with vasopressors could be
misinterpreted as indicating worsening vasospasm (Fig 2
We believe that in patients with disturbed autoregulation, measures
designed to increase CBF will increase TCD velocities. Levy et
al32 noted a "paradoxical increase" in TCD
velocities and a reversal of neurological deficits in patients after
SAH who were given dobutamine. Dobutamine is a
ß1 agonist that is used to increased cardiac output and has been
shown to increase ocular blood flow and MCA TCD
velocities.33 These results are consonant with
our findings that TCD velocities will parallel CBF changes in patients
with disturbed autoregulation. This may seem intuitively obvious;
however, this is not routinely considered in the interpretation of TCD
velocities. We speculate that much of the current controversy that
exists over the use of TCD to monitor vasospasm could be explained by
the differences in medical therapies applied to patients that have
impaired cerebral autoregulation.34 35 To avoid
confusing loss of autoregulation with changes in the severity of
vasospasm, we would recommend that all TCD studies in the setting of
vasospasm have hemodynamic parameters
documented before and after blood pressure manipulation or that
continuous monitoring be performed to determine TCD changes with blood
pressure manipulation.
If future studies with CBF measurements suggest that changes in TCD
velocities can provide an approximation of CBF and that loss of
cerebral autoregulation can be correlated with clinical symptoms, then
TCD testing may be able to be used more effectively to tailor medical
therapies in treating cerebral vasospasm (ie, treatment could be
initiated and maintained during loss of autoregulation and withdrawn
only after cerebral autoregulation returned to baseline).
In summary, TCD velocities can be affected by
hemodynamic manipulations that occur during the
treatment of patients with cerebral vasospasm and are of sufficient
magnitude to lead to the misinterpretation of these values. Future work
delineating the effects of hemodynamic augmentation on
TCD velocities may provide guidance as to when
hemodynamic therapies should be initiated or
withdrawn.
Received June 6, 1997;
revision received November 24, 1997;
accepted December 2, 1997.
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Letter.
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions
Effects of Induced Hypertension on Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Velocities in Patients After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
![]()
Abstract
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Background and
PurposeTranscranial doppler ultrasound (TCD) is used
after subarachnoid hemorrhage to detect cerebral
vasospasm and is often treated with induced hypertension. Cerebral
autoregulation, however, may be disturbed in this population, raising
the possibility that TCD velocities may be elevated by induced
hypertension. To study this possibility, we performed continuous TCD
monitoring of the middle cerebral artery during the induction and
withdrawal of induced hypertension in patients after subarachnoid
hemorrhage.
Key Words: ultrasonography, Doppler subarachnoid hemorrhage hypertension
![]()
Introduction
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Cerebral vasospasm is
a pathological luminal narrowing of the cerebral arteries that occurs
in patients after SAH and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality
in these patients. A critical reduction of CBF caused by this narrowing
leads to a clinical syndrome of delayed ischemia, which
develops in 25% to 30% of SAH patients.1 The
medical management of cerebral vasospasm uses volume expansion and
induced hypertension in an attempt to increase
CBF.2 3
![]()
Subjects and Methods
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Patients
Inclusion criteria were (1) age >18 years; (2) SAH due to an
angiographically demonstrated cerebral aneurysm (All Hunt-Hess
and Fisher grades were included); (3) post-SAH day 3 to 21; (4)
initiation or withdrawal from induced hypertension for vasospasm; (5)
adequate transtemporal visualization of the MCA; and (6)
available personnel and equipment at the time of initiation or
withdrawal of treatment.
TCD criteria for inducing hypertension were as follows: if mean
TCD velocities were 120 to 150 cm/s, systolic blood pressure
was raised to 140 to 159 mm Hg; for TCD velocities of 151 to 200
cm/s, SBP was elevated to 160 to 179 mm Hg; and for TCD
velocities >200 cm/s, systolic blood pressure was raised to
>180 mm Hg. Hypertension was usually induced with a continuous
infusion of phenylephrine. If phenylephrine
alone was ineffective in achieving the systolic blood pressure
goals, dopamine or norepinephrine was used alone or in
combination with phenylephrine. Withdrawal of induced
hypertension was accomplished using the same TCD criteria. In 3
patients, dopamine was added or withdrawn from a patient on
phenylephrine. TCD velocity changes reflect the changes in
dopamine levels with stable phenylephrine dosage.
TCD recording of the M1 segment of the MCA were
recorded using the MedaSonics CDS system. Ultrasonography was
performed at a depth of 45 to 55 mm to obtain the highest mean
velocity for both MCAs. Continuous monitoring was then performed on the
MCA with the highest velocity using a 2-MHz probe secured by a sliding
wheel head frame. To control for large or cyclic variations noted
during continuous monitoring,8 velocities were
continuously recorded for 1 to 3 minutes to establish a baseline
and then during the induction and withdrawal of hypertension. Studies
were only concluded when a new baseline level could be established and
maintained. This value was defined as a mean TCD velocity that did not
vary by greater than 2 cm/s. Patients were excluded if baseline values
could not be obtained or maintained or if cyclic variations varied by
>15% of baseline TCD values. Mean TCD velocity, MAP, and when
available intracranial pressure (ICP) were recorded every minute
during the entire procedure. CPP was calculated as MAP-ICP. A
significant change in velocity that could not be attributed to
variations in time, side to side differences, or cerebral activation
was considered to occur if the velocities varied by >15% from
baseline during the study.9 10
Cerebral autoregulation was evaluated using a method developed
by Tiecks et al.11 Autoregulation was assessed at
baseline and after the target blood pressure had been reached and was
stable for 1 to 3 minutes. It was calculated as % change in CVR/%
change in MAP (or CPP)x100. CVR was defined as MAP (or CPP)/mean TCD
velocity, and the percentage was calculated as
(CVR2-CVR1/CVR1)x100.
Similarly, a percentage change in MAP was calculated as
(MAP2-MAP1/MAP1)
or
CPP2-CPP1/CPP1x100.
Using this method, autoregulation is expressed as a percentage, with
100% signifying intact autoregulation and 0% indicating that CBF is
completely pressure passive. For the purposes of this study, we used an
estimated index of cerebral autoregulation of >50% to signify intact
autoregulation.
Patients were grouped into hemodynamic or
control groups. The hemodynamic group was later divided
into those patients with intact and disturbed autoregulation.
Comparisons of the clinical and testing data between these groups were
performed using unpaired t tests. All percentage changes in
MAP or TCD velocities were converted to positive numbers, and the mean
change in MAP and TCD velocities were compared using an unpaired
t test. Comparisons of Hunt-Hess12 and
Fisher13 groups, along with comparisons of
autoregulation, were performed using a Mann-Whitney U test.
A value of P<.05 was considered to indicate statistical
significance.
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Results
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
The demographic data and conditions during testing for this
population are outlined in Table 1
.
Twenty-eight studies were performed during blood pressure manipulation
in 19 patients. Fourteen studies were performed in 13 patients during
both the induction and withdrawal of hypertension. Eight patients were
studied while blood pressure was not being manipulated. The majority of
patients showed Hunt-Hess grades 3 and 4 and Fisher group 3 (Table 1
).
Tests were performed between days 3 and 18 (average, 9.3) after SAH.
Phenylephrine was used as the sole agent to induce
hypertension in 23 studies; in 3 studies, dopamine was added or
withdrawn in combination with phenylephrine. Blood pressure
changes in these patients represented the effect of
addition or withdrawal of dopamine. In 1 control patient,
phenylephrine was used with norepinephrine. In
2 experimental studies, norepinephrine alone was used. The
average time to reach the blood pressure goal was 17.3 minutes (range,
6 to 36).
View this table:
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Table 1. General Patient Data and Conditions of Testing
outlines the
hemodynamic data during continuous TCD testing. MAP
during TCD testing ranged from 66 to 134 mm Hg. Blood pressure
varied between 7% and 44% (mean 20.1±9.5% SD) from baseline blood
pressure during the infusion or withdrawal of pressors. Baseline MCA
TCD velocities ranged from 38 to 249 cm/s. TCD velocities varied from
baseline TCD velocities by 1.6% to 32% (mean 13.7±9.5% SD) during
hemodynamic manipulation. Using Aaslid criteria at the
time of initial testing, 13 patients during 16 studies had no evidence
of vessel narrowing (TCD velocities <120 cm/s), 7 patients in 7
studies were in mild vasospasm (TCD velocities >120 cm/s), 4 patients
in 5 studies were in moderate vasospasm (TCD velocities >150 cm/s),
and 1 patient in 1 study was in severe vasospasm (TCD velocities >200
cm/s).
View this table:
[in a new window]
Table 2. Cerebral Autoregulation After SAH
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Discussion
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
The results of this study suggest that in a majority of patients
with SAH, TCD velocities are altered by manipulation of blood pressure.
This change occurred over a wide range of blood pressure and was of
sufficient magnitude in several cases to alter the interpretation of
MCA flow velocities being used to assess cerebral vasospasm (Fig 1
).

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[in a new window]
Figure 1. Effect of MAP on TCD ultrasound velocities. A,
Effects of MAP on TCD velocities during 10 studies in patients with
disturbed autoregulation. A change of >15% in TCD velocities was
considered significant. Note that in several cases the change in
velocities were of sufficient magnitude to potentially lead to the
misinterpretation of worsening or improving vasospasm. B, Effects of
MAP on TCD velocities during 14 studies in patients with intact
autoregulation.
receptors have
been shown to be limited in both number and activity on the basal
cerebral arteries.23 24 Similarly, no change in
cerebral artery diameter has been noted under direct visualization when
phenylephrine is used.25 It is not
known whether perfusion territories remain constant during induced
hypertension. Sorteberg et al26 have suggested
that perfusion territories may be altered with
acetazolamide. Whether this occurs with
phenylephrine would require concurrent blood flow and flow
velocity assessments.
). In this report, changes in velocity
were of sufficient magnitude in 25% of the studies to suggest that
vasospasm was actually worsening or improving. This misinterpretation
would likely occur if TCD studies were performed intermittently and
continuous assessments were not made during blood pressure
manipulations. If TCD velocities increase during the induction of
hypertension and these are misinterpreted as worsening vasospasm,
invasive procedures or medical therapies designed to treat vasospasm
may be unnecessarily initiated or prolonged. Similarly, a decrease in
TCD velocities seen with a reduction of induced hypertension could be
misinterpreted as improving vasospasm and subsequently lead to a
premature withdrawal of medical treatments.

View larger version (29K):
[in a new window]
Figure 2. Examples of TCD flow velocity profiles during
hemodynamic manipulations. A, Patient 13: Continuous
MCA TCD profile during induced hypertension over a 15-minute period.
Note how an increase in velocity in a patient with poor autoregulation
could be misinterpreted as worsening vasospasm. B, Patient 11: Example
of a continuous MCA TCD profile in a patient with poor autoregulation
during reduction in blood pressure. Decreasing velocities could be
misinterpreted as improving vasospasm. C, Repeat testing of patient 13.
Induced hypertension is withdrawn 12 days after initial testing. Note
improved autoregulation with little change in the TCD profile during
reduction in blood pressure.
![]()
Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms
CBF
=
cerebral blood flow
CPP
=
cerebral perfusion pressure
CVR
=
cerebrovascular resistance
MAP
=
mean arterial blood pressure
MCA
=
middle cerebral artery
SAH
=
subarachnoid hemorrhage
TCD
=
transcranial Doppler sonography
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References
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Subjects and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
1.
Kasell NF, Torner JC, Haley EC, Jane JA, Adams HP,
Kongable GL. The International Cooperative Study on the timing of
aneurysm surgery, I: overall management results. J
Neurosurg. 1990;73:1836.[Medline]
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