The importance of stabilizing intracranial pressure following spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intracranial pressure variability (ICPV) and risk of hematoma in the first 24 hours of intensive care admission and external ventricular drain placement for patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (sICH).
A multivariable logistic regression identified an association between intracranial pressure and hematoma expansion (successive variation: odds ratio 1.6, P=0.035; standard deviation: odds ratio 0.77, P=0.009).
The authors concluded that there was an association between ICPV and hematoma expansion in patients with sICH treated with external ventricular drain. Rapid changes in intracranial pressure were associated with increased risk for hematoma expansion. Efforts to closely stabilize intracranial pressure may improve mortality associated with sICH.