Effect of Tham on ICP, EEG and Tissue Edema Parameters in Experimental and Clinical Brain Edema

In the treatment of brain swelling, it is not only necessary to reduce the elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), which is a symptom, but also to counteract the causal pathogenetic factors, one of which is the lactacidotic local metabolism (1,8). This acidotic disturbance of metabolism and vasoregulation intensifies, ending in fatal elevation of ICP, by penetration of arterial pressure into vasoparalyzed edema (1,8). As THAM (tromethamine, “Tris-buffer”), in contrast to Na-bicarbonate, crosses plasmatic membranes and directly influences intracellular acidosis (7,9), we tested its action in experimental and clinical brain edema.