Automated Pupillometry in Neurocritical Care: Research and Practice

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to examine the impact of pupillometer assessment on care and research of patients with neurological injury.

Recent findings: Recent studies demonstrate that automated pupillometry outperforms manual penlight pupil examination in neurocritical care populations. Further research has identified specific changes in the pupillary light reflex associated with pathologic conditions, and pupillometry has been used to successfully identify early changes in neurologic function, intracranial pressure, treatment response to osmotherapy, and prognosis after cardiac arrest. Automated pupillometry is being increasingly adopted as a routine part of the neurologic examination, supported by a growing body of literature demonstrating its reliability, accuracy, and ease of use. Automated pupillometry allows rapid, non-invasive, reliable, and quantifiable assessment of pupillary function which may allow rapid diagnosis of intracranial pathology that affects clinical decision making.

Keywords: Automated pupillometer; Intracranial pressure; Neurological examination; Outcomes; Pupillary light reflex; Traumatic brain injury.