Body fluid oxygen tension and prognosis in patients with ruptured aneurysm.

Body fluid gas pressure and electrolytes of patients with ruptured aneurysm were continuously analyzed. Intracranial pressure (ICP) was regulated at the level of 120-100 mm H2O by cerebral ventricular drainage. There was no significant change in the pH, PCO2, HCO3-, Na+, K+, Ca++ in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with slight or moderate disturbance of consciousness (lethargic-drowsy state). The PcsfO2 of the patients with marked disturbances of consciousness (semicoma-coma) was significantly low. PcsfO2 of the patients with cerebral vasospasm was significantly lower than for those without vasospasms. PcsfO2/PaO2 was 0.27 +/- 0.01 in the patients with vasospasm and 0.50 +/- 0.01 in those with vasospasm. PcsfO2 tended to decrease in patients with markedly bloody CSF. When the bloody CSF was cleared by ventricular drainage, PcsfO2 increased. PcsfO2 did not return to a normal value in the patients with marked disturbances of consciousness despite sufficient arterial oxygen tension. This suggests that PcsfO2 and PcsfO2/PaO2 should provide a convenient index for the prognosis of patients with ruptured aneurysm.