Traumatic Brain Injury: Bolus Versus Continuous Infusion of 3% Hypertonic Saline

Hypertonic saline (HTS) is used as an adjunct in the conservative management of increased intracranial pressure; however, the ideal concentration or route of delivery is unknown. Our objective was to assess whether there is a difference in route of delivery, bolus versus infusion, of 2% versus 3% HTS in patients with traumatic brain injury. The study comprises a retrospective analysis of all patients who sustained traumatic brain injury resulting in increased intracranial pressure that required HTS from January 2012 to December 2014. We examined time to therapeutic serum sodium concentration greater or equal to 150 mEq; incidence of ventriculostomy placement and neurosurgical intervention for refractory intracanial hypertension; and disability burden among the different infusates and route of delivery. A total of 169 patients received either 2% or 3% HTS, given as a bolus or continuous infusion. Patients had an average age of 61.4 years; 100 patients (59.2%) were male and 69 (40.8%) were female; 62 patients were taking either an antiplatelet or anticoagulant agent. Infusion of 3% saline was associated with the shortest interval to reaching a therapeutic level at 1.61 days (P = 0.024). There was no statistically significant difference between placement of a ventriculostomy among the bolus and infusion groups of 3% normal saline (NS) (P = 0.475). However, neurosurgical intervention was less prevalent in those receiving 3% infusion (P = 0.013). Infusion of 3% HTS was associated with a more rapid increase in serum sodium to therapeutic levels. Neurosurgical intervention for refractory hypertension was less prevalent in the 3% NS infusion group.