Neurocritical Care
Description
Neurocritical Care is a multidisciplinary team that offers treatment for adults suffering from various neurological disorders such as acute head and spinal injuries, coma, cerebral vascular problems, tumors, intracranial pressure problems and infectious diseases.
As a joint venture, the disciplines of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Critical Care at London Health Sciences Center manage the largest group of critically ill patients from all medical and surgical disciplines in Canada. A significant proportion of care involves patients with primary neurological or neurosurgical diseases or other disorders with a high incidence of neurological complications.
The two-tertiary/quaternary care intensive care units at the London Health Sciences Centre is suitable for intensive monitoring procedures including automated blood pressure, oxygen saturation, electrocardiographic, intracranial pressure and EEG. The adult neurocritical care program provides numerous opportunities for improved patient management and outcomes, teaching, research and new technology assessment.
The neurocritical care department is committed to providing an unparalleled training experience for medical students, residents and fellows and offers allied health trainees, nurses, nursing students, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, nutritionists and other health professionals to an integrated, multidisciplinary educational experience.
Training Opportunities
Residents
CNS Neurology residents can complete a rotation in neurocritical care. Upon completing this rotation residents will be proficient in recognizing, assessing, investivating, and managing patients with life-threatening disorders of the nervous system including:
- Comatose states
- Raised intracranial pressure
- Status epilepticus
- Acute myelopathy
- Neurogenic respiratory failure
- Acute peripheral nerve disease including Guillain Barre syndrome
- Failure to wean from the ventilator
- Severe head injury
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- CNS infections
- Neurological consequences of systemic illness, including transplant-related neurological syndromes
Residents will also learn:
- Utilization and efficacy of continuous EEG monitoring in critically ill patients who are at high risk of developing seizures; impact on length of stay and outcome
- Use of Somatosensory evoked potentials in the prognostication of neurological outcome following anoxic brain injury
- Assessment of new technology: Continuous modular EEG monitoring at the bedside - industry support from Datex-Ohmeda
- Innovative electrophysiological assessment methods in traumatic brain injury. Canadian Institutes of Health Research - $130,000 grant received August 2001, in collaboration with Dr. John Connolly, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Neuro Intensive Care Unit Fellowship
Main Contact: Teneille Gofton - MD, FRCPC
phone: 519-663-3672
fax: 519-663-3982
London Health Sciences Centre
University Hospital
339 Windermere Road
London Ontario Canada
N6A 5A5
Research Opportunities
If you are interested in conducting research on neurocritical care or are interested in assisting in ongoing research by our faculty, visit their bio pages for information on their specific research interests and how to get in touch.
