[Plasma ANP levels and its relation to electrolyte and water regulation in neurosurgical intensive care patients].

We examined the relation between plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the changes of the regulating hormones ADH and renin aldosterone in 20 neurosurgical intensive care patients. All patients suffered from elevated intracranial pressure due to severe head trauma or severe subarachnoidal hemorrhage of the anterior circulation. Under controlled mechanical hyperventilation (CMV) with PEEP, 15 patients without evidence of central dysregulation showed no change in plasma ANP, ADH and aldosterone. In five patients with severe central dysregulation of either electrolytes or blood pressure, increases of plasma ANP of various degrees could be observed together with a decline in serum aldosterone.