Acute neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury or ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke, are amongst the most prevalent causes of death and disability worldwide. In addition, severe systemic insults such as sepsis or severe shock often affect the brain. Caring for patients with critical neurological and neurosurgical conditions is challenging, and requires a unique set of skills.
The eCourse on Mastering the Brain in Critical Conditions offers an advanced educational programme on the management of neuro-critically ill patients, and will cover a broad spectrum of topics, including basic pathophysiological principles, traditional and novel diagnostic and monitoring tools, updated treatment strategies, and realistic clinical scenarios.
After registering for the event, ensure you access the dedicated online classroom on the ESICM Academy.
Faculty
Directors:
Carmen LOPEZ SOTO MD Consultant in Critical Care Medicine, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London
Virginia NEWCOMBE MD Neurosciences and Trauma Critical Care Unit (NCCU), Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge; Perioperative, Acute, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (PACE) Section, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Explain the core physiological principles underpinning neurocritical care, including ICP dynamics, autoregulation, and cerebral perfusion.
Describe how systemic factors—haemodynamics, ventilation, temperature, nutrition, and fluid choice—influence secondary brain injury.
Select and justify appropriate monitoring strategies for individual brain-injured patients.
Distinguish the pathophysiology, diagnostic approach, and acute management priorities of subarachnoid haemorrhage, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke.
Recognise and manage the major complications associated with each stroke subtype.
Apply appropriate blood pressure, surgical, and reperfusion strategies according to stroke type and timing.
Recognise and manage status epilepticus, including escalation through pharmacological therapy.
Describe the pathophysiology and post-arrest management of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Apply a structured approach to neuroprognostication in the comatose patient.
Differentiate community-acquired from nosocomial CNS infections in terms of risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.
Recognise autoimmune encephalitis as a differential for acute encephalopathy and outline its management.
Formulate appropriate empirical and targeted therapy for CNS infective and inflammatory conditions.
Describe the pathophysiology and post-arrest management of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Apply a structured approach to neuroprognostication in the comatose patient.
Differentiate community-acquired from nosocomial CNS infections in terms of risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.
Recognise autoimmune encephalitis as a differential for acute encephalopathy and outline its management.
Formulate appropriate empirical and targeted therapy for CNS infective and inflammatory conditions.
Programme Content
Intracranial pressure dynamics and its relation with cerebral perfusion pressure
Brain metabolism
Inflammatory responses in the acute brain injured brain: the good, the bad and the ugly
The role of temperature on brain pathophysiology
Based on practical cases, the following monitors will be explained and inked with the pathophysiological processes that lead to brain injury
ICP
Pbt02
Microdialysis
Transcranial doppler
Electroencephalography
Imaging: CT and MRI
Mechanisms of spinal cord injury and spinal perfusion pressure
Target
Experienced and junior intensive care physicians, intensive care nurses and allied healthcare professionals who would want an update and overview of the neurocritical care patient.
Support Emerging Nations and Eastern Europe
ESICM members from the Emerging Nations and Eastern Europe (see list of countries here) are entitled to an discount on registration fees. To qualify, participants must be active ESICM members for the current year. To become a member, please see more information here.
Accreditation
An application will be made to the UEMS EACCME® for CME accreditation of each live event.
