Impact of hypotension and low cerebral perfusion pressure on outcomes in children treated with hypothermia therapy following severe traumatic brain injury: a post hoc analysis of the Hypothermia Pediatric Head Injury Trial.

Hypotension and low cerebral perfusion pressure are known to be associated with unfavorable outcome in children and adults with traumatic brain injury. Using the database from a previously published, randomized controlled trial of 24 h of hypothermia therapy in children with severe traumatic brain injury, we compared the number of patients with hypotension or low cerebral perfusion pressure between the hypothermia therapy and normothermia groups. We also determined the association between these physiologic insults and unfavorable outcome using regression analysis. There were more patients with episodes of hypotension or low cerebral perfusion pressure in the hypothermia therapy group than in the normothermia group. These physiologic insults were associated with unfavorable outcome in both intervention groups. Hypotension and low cerebral perfusion pressure should be anticipated and prevented in future trials of hypothermia therapy in patients with traumatic brain injury.