BRAIN AND LUNG INJURY . WHAT IS THE BRAIN AND LUNG RELATIONSHIP?

Abstract

Cerebral and / or pulmonary injuries are frequent causes of intensive care admissions and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The brain inflammation resulting from trauma is followed by immunosuppression and has local and systemic effects, and may delay the healing process of the injury itself, as well as impair the lesions in other organs. Infection is the most common complication, and the post-stroke pneumonia implicated in high mortality rates. Furthermore, mechanical ventilation, often necessary in these patients, can induce systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ failure. Therefore, there is a strong correlation between lung and other organs, including brain. In this context, many patients who survive from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome have cognitive impairment such neurological dysfunction may be a secondary marker of lung damage. The lungbrain interaction has received little attention in the literature, but recent evidence suggests that both lungs and brain may induce inflammation through common mediators. This review aims to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the interaction between lung and brain injury, as well as to infer the impact of strategies currently used in critically ill patients.