[Correlations between E.E.G. findings and intracranial pressure (ICP) during treatment of acute post-traumatic intracranial hypertension (preliminary report) (author's transl)].

An infusion of a 10% solution of Althesin was administered for treatment of acute post-traumatic intracranial hypertension. Six comatose patients, aged from 7 to 22 years, without neurosurgical lesions, were treated with doses of the compound varying from 40 to 400 ml per day for 1 to 6 days. Daily polygrahic recordings (E.E.G, E.M.G., E.K.G., respiration and I.C.P.) were made in all patients for periods of 4 to 8 hours. Doses lower than 0.12 ml/min. caused a slight reduction in I.C.P. in two patients, without variations in the E.E.G. Doses between 0.12 and 0.36 ml/min. provoked a reduction in I.C.P. in all patients, and the appearance of burst suppression in the E.E.G. in those patients with an "alternating" tracing only. Higher doses (0.36 to 0.72 ml/min.) caused a reduction in I.C.P. less than 50% in 5 of the 6 patients. Continuous slow wave tracings and border-line tracings showed less constant modifications. The reactivity of the I.C.P. and the E.E.G. to Althesin appears earlier and is more evident in patients with an alternating E.E.G. tracing and with pressure waves of the Lundberg type b. No side effects related to the use of barbiturates were noted after interrupting treatment.