Abstract: | Cerebral injury is a common cause of severe morbidity and mortality and is frequently encountered by anaesthetists and intensive care physicians in clinical practice. Insults may arise from a variety of medical and surgical conditions, including stroke, subarachnoid haemorrhage, central nervous system infection, epilepsy, post-cardiac arrest, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).Although the primary damage to brain tissue may be irreversible, aggressive early treatment may limit the ensuing secondary brain injury and reduce the risk of severe disability or death. Neuroprotection involves physiological, pharmacological and surgical interventions, initiated before the onset of ischaemia that can modify the cascade of events that lead to permanent cell damage when left unchecked. |