Cerebral Aerobic Index and Oxygen/Glucose Ratio in Acute Brain Injury

We have previously found a strong association between global cerebral luxury perfusion (hyperemia) and intracranial hypertension, in severe acute brain trauma [7]. In the same work, we found an excellent inverse relationship between mean regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) values and the arterio-jugular oxygen content difference (AJDO2), so that decreased AJDO2 values were consistent with global cerebral hyperperfusion relative to oxygen consumption (CMRO2), and vice versa. We therefore adopted and proposed clinical monitoring of the arteriojugular oxygen difference for both intermittent and continuous assessment [1–5]. The present work was aimed at investigating the relationship between global cerebral glucose and oxygen extraction in severe acute brain trauma, as a means of assessing a possible etiological basis for cerebral anaerobic metabolism, and its association with cerebral luxury perfusion and related intracranial hypertension.