[Treatment of intracranial hypertension in the case of severe craniocerebral injuries].

More than 50% of severely head-injured patients develop increased intracranial pressure, risking exacerbating ischaemic insults to the already injured brain. In approximately 10% of these cases, intracranial pressure may become unresponsive to medical or surgical treatment, with a resulting mortality of over 90%. The main emphasis should be on full intensive care, based on the prophylaxis of the devastating effects of secondary insults to the injured brain. Specific treatment should be directed towards controlling intracranial pressure and maintaining a cerebral perfusion pressure over 70 mmHg, while avoiding, where feasible, treatment modalities at risk of exacerbating cerebral ischaemia. Recently, an algorithm for treating intracranial hypertension under three different therapeutic situations has been suggested, based on the successive application of effective agents with increasing associated risks. Therapeutic modalities of this protocol are discussed.