[nurseguinness]

Neuro nurses. What do you know about brainstorming in neuro pt? I come from a hospital that called a state that the pt. was in where increase heart rate, almost convulsion looking state brainstorming. The docs said it was not a seizure but now I am at a hospital in Neuro ICU and no one knows what I am talking about.

Have ya'll heard of this. If so do you know the definition and also know where i can get some info on it. Thanks.

[CRNI-ICU20]

Hi...
Are you talking about "locked in syndrome?".....
Psuedo-seizures?
Was this a patient who had brain injury or tumor?
need more information....

[nurseguinness]

Yes it is usually TBI with brainswelling. I think they may refer to it as psuedoseizures. But the Neuro docs in Houston call it brainstorming. Usually they go tachy, and their temp is uncontrollable.

[meandragonbrett]

Yes, it commonly happens in post-neuro injury. There was an article about it in the Feb 2007's issue of Critical Care Nurse. They refered to it as "Sympathetic Storming" S/sx include fever, posturing, tachycardia, HTN, and diaphoresis. Can happen anywhere from 24hours -2 weeks post injury. Mechanism for this sympathetic response is not currently known.

Do a google search for "Sympathetic Storming" and I'm sure you can get tons of information. You could also check out Google Scholar to get journal articles.

[nurseguinness]

Thanks for your help. I will start searching.

[subee]

Originally Posted by meandragonbrett

Yes, it commonly happens in post-neuro injury. There was an article about it in the Feb 2007's issue of Critical Care Nurse. They refered to it as "Sympathetic Storming" S/sx include fever, posturing, tachycardia, HTN, and diaphoresis. Can happen anywhere from 24hours -2 weeks post injury. Mechanism for this sympathetic response is not currently known.

Do a google search for "Sympathetic Storming" and I'm sure you can get tons of information. You could also check out Google Scholar to get journal articles.

This sympathetic storming occurs during the dying process also where large amounts of norepi and even seretonin are released.

[AllYsa1707]

i worked in a general icu where we would occassionally admit neuro/head injury patient. please enlighten me with this..i have encountered a patient with post head injury kick from a horse ...all ct scans showed NAD but after three days post extubation patient develop a severe headache and manifest "seizure " like activity.after the seizure it took a while for the patient to regain consciousness..then she complained of sensitivity to light..but during all these episodes there was no changes on the heart rate and even no elevation/drop of blood pressure..was relieve when df118 was given.i hate to say if she was faking it...

[neurogeek]

ALLYsa, sounds like a fake to me. There is always a sympathetic response to seizure (>HR, peripheral constriction, pupil dilation, sometimes diaphoresis). It can't be helped; it's just part of the process. Many pseudo-seizure pt's are SO good at faking that they illicit a SNS response. Could be that your patient was pseudo....sounds weird though. Any psych hx?

[AllYsa1707]

funny you asked...not realy diagnosed but it seems she was known to general ward where she would be in terrible pain and would ask for all kinds of pain relief....and eventually there was nothing sinister with her seizure activity...she was really faking it....
she really got the ignorance in us...

[neurogeek]

Nah, no ignorance. Once in a blue moon there's a real seizure with no SNS response, etc. It's rare but can happen. There are even "seizure" pt's who have normal EEG's, again rare but does happen. Drive ya crazy...doesn't it?