Updated Guidelines for Treating Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

These AHA/ASA guidelines emphasize the importance of early, aggressive treatment in saving lives when ICH occurs.

Sponsoring Organization: American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Target Audience: Neurologists, emergency care physicians, hospitalists

Background and Objective

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is an important cause of stroke with a 30-day mortality rate of 20% to 30%. Leading etiologies include chronic hypertensive vasculopathy, amyloid angiopathy, and anticoagulant-related hemorrhage. This multidisciplinary group has now updated the 2010 guidelines on ICH management. The most important new recommendations are as follows.

Key New Points

Document stroke severity score (Class I, Level B).
Use pneumatic compression to prevent deep venous thrombosis, starting the day of hospital admission (Class I, Level A).
For ICH patients with systoli…

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke