Loading...
Many patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have enlargement of the hematoma in the initial hours after onset: In one study, 38% showed an increase in hematoma size of >33% within 20 hours from onset, two thirds of them within 1 hour from the baseline CT scan (Stroke 1997; 28:1). Early hematoma expansion is associated with neurologic deterioration. To assess countermeasures to early hematoma enlargement, Mayer and colleagues conducted a manufacturer-supported randomized controlled trial, comparing three doses of recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa; 40 μg/kg, 80 μg/kg, and 160 μg/kg) -- a hemostatic agent approved to treat bleeding in patients with hemophilia -- against placebo in 399 patients with spontaneous ICH within 4 hours …