Consensus meeting on microdialysis in neurointensive care

Background: Microdialysis is used in many European neurointensive care units to monitor brain chemistry in patients suffering subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Discussion: We present a consensus agreement achieved at a meeting in Stockholm by a group of experienced users of microdialysis in neurointensive care, defining the use of microdialysis, placement of catheters, unreliable values, chemical markers, and clinical use in SAH and in TBI. Conclusions: As microdialysis is maturing into a clinically useful technique for early detection of cerebral ischemia and secondary brain damage, there is a need to following such definition regarding when and how to use microdialysis after SAH and TBI