Critical appraisal of Perez et al: Jugular venous oxygen saturation or arteriovenous difference of lactate content and outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To review the findings and discuss the implications of jugular venous bulb oxygenation monitoring in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

DESIGN: A critical appraisal of Perez et al, Jugular venous oxygen saturation or arteriovenous difference of lactate content and outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

FINDINGS: Two episodes of jugular venous bulb desaturation and abnormal values of arteriovenous difference in lactate content are associated with poor neurologic outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury-risk ratio 6.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-29.7) and risk ratio 17.6 (95% confidence interval, 2.5-122.5), respectively. This confirms the findings of previously reported adult studies.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate that jugular venous monitoring may aid in predicting the neurologic outcome of children with severe traumatic brain injury. More studies need to be performed (particularly on safety) before adopting jugular venous bulb oxygenation monitoring as a prediction tool or, ultimately, as a therapeutic intervention to help manage and improve outcome for children with severe traumatic brain injury.