Time-dependent relationships between human brain and body temperature after severe traumatic brain injury

There is uncertainty about the reliability of using body temperature readings as a ‘surrogate’ measure of brain temperature.Aim: To determine the temporal inter-relationship between body and brain temperature after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).Setting and Patients: Large University teaching hospital in the North West of England. Patients admitted for emergency neurocritical care. All patients received dual-modality monitoring of brain tissue pressure and temperature via invasive intracerebral micro-sensors. Body temperature was measured using an indwelling thermistor inserted in to the rectum.Methods: Temperature was monitored continuously with values stored to a bedside data acquisition system at intervals of 10 minutes. Data were transferred to a spreadsheet at end of each individual’s monitoring period for further analysis under Matlab routines. The method of functional principal components was used to determine the time-dynamics of brain and body temperature relationships.Results: In the period after severe TBI, median body and brain temperature for all readings and in all patients was 37.6oC and 37.7oC respectively; a statistical (p