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Purpose: Cardiac complications are common after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In this study we intended to investigate factors associated with higher alterations in heart rate and their impact on outcome., Methods: Eighty-eight ICH patients were included. A simplified approach to calculate heart rate variability (HR SD ) in analogy to systolic blood pressure variability (SBP SD ) with daily standard deviations of HR in the acute (first 24 h) and subacute phase (day1-day7) was used. Using multivariable regression, factors associated with higher HR SD and the association between higher HR SD and poor 3-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale > 3) were analyzed. All models were adjusted for age, atrial fibrillation, mechanical ventilation, vasopressor administration, and mean HR., Results: Patients were 71 (IQR = 60-79) years old and presented with an admission ICH-Score of 2 (IQR = 1-3). In multivariable analysis, intraventricular hemorrhage (adjOR = 8.66, 95%-CI = 1.89-39.60, p = 0.005), a QRS complex >120 ms (adjOR = 19.02; 95%-CI = 2.08-175.05, p = 0.009) and female sex (adjOR = 4.24; 95%-CI = 1.08-16.64, p = 0.038) were associated with higher HR SD in the acute phase. A higher HR SD (adjOR = 1.29, 95%-CI = 1.01-1.66, p = 0.045) in the acute but not in the subacute phase (p = 0.764) was associated with poor 3-month outcome., Conclusion: The study suggests that a higher variation in heart rate in the early phase after ICH may discriminate patients with poor outcome., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Spreading depolarizations (SDs) are highly active metabolic events, commonly occur in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and may be triggered by fever. We investigated the dynamics of brain-temperature (T brain ) and core-temperature (T core ) relative to the occurrence of SDs. Twenty consecutive comatose ICH patients with multimodal electrocorticograpy (ECoG) and T brain monitoring of the perihematomal area were prospectively enrolled. Clusters of SDs were defined as ≥2 SDs/h. Generalized estimating equations were used for statistical calculations. Data are presented as median and interquartile range. During 3097 h (173 h [81-223]/patient) of ECoG monitoring, 342 SDs were analyzed of which 51 (15%) occurred in clusters. Baseline T core and T brain was 37.3℃ (36.9-37.8) and 37.4℃ (36.7-37.9), respectively. T brain but not T core significantly increased 25 min preceding the onset of SDs by 0.2℃ (0.1-0.2; p < 0.001) and returned to baseline 35 min following SDs. During clusters, T brain increased to a higher level (+0.4℃ [0.1-0.4]; p = 0.006) when compared to single SDs. A higher probability (OR = 36.9; CI = 36.8-37.1; p < 0.001) of developing SDs was observed during episodes of T brain  ≥ 38.0℃ (23% probability), than during T brain  ≤ 36.6℃ (9% probability). Spreading depolarizations - and in particular clusters of SDs - may increase brain temperature following ICH.

Background: Fever is common in neurocritical care patients and is associated with poor outcome. Targeted temperature management (TTM), i.e. therapeutic hypothermia or controlled normothermia, after acute brain injury has been studied as a neuroprotectant for several decades. In contrast to pharmacological agents with specific targets TTM affects multiple pathophysiological mechanisms and is primarily thought to attenuate secondary brain injury. Most promising results have been obtained from experimental studies on cerebral ischemia or traumatic brain injury showing beneficial effects of hypothermia on structural and functional outcome., Objective: The aim of this systematic review of the literature is to provide an overview on preclinical and clinical data on the use of TTM for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The impact of TTM on structural changes and functional outcome after induced and spontaneous ICH will be summarized., Results and Discussion: A positive influence of hypothermia has been observed in animal models of spontaneous ICH improving, among others, perihematomal edema, blood-brain barrier integrity, inflammation and thrombin-induced injury. However, results regarding functional outcome are conflicting. Little data is available on the effect of TTM after spontaneous ICH in humans. Single-center observational studies have shown reduced perihematomal edema under mild hypothermia and an association with favorable outcome. However, these beneficial effects on mortality and functional outcome have not been confirmed in randomized studies so far. Thus, results from ongoing, prospective randomized-controlled trials are highly anticipated., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Background: Neuroprotection through targeted temperature management is currently investigated in patients with severe brain injury in multiple trials. Feedback devices have been shown to precisely reach and maintain target temperature by constantly adjusting cooling activity. We analyzed the association between cooling activity expressed as cool bath temperatures and functional neurological outcome., Methods: Data were retrospectively analyzed from a prospective randomized trial on controlled prophylactic normothermia (i.e., 36.5 °C) in patients with severe cerebrovascular disease. Body core temperature of patients who had been randomized to the endovascular group, was controlled using an endovascular cooling device. Cool bath temperature was analyzed over a period of 168 h. Functional neurological outcome was evaluated at 180 days using the modified Rankin Scale., Results: 51 of 102 patients included were randomized to the endovascular group. Cool bath temperature data were available from 47/51 patients. Patients with lower cool bath temperatures reflecting high cooling activity had a more favorable neurological outcome at 180 days (mRS 0-2) than patients with low cooling activity (p < 0.05). We did not find a significant correlation between cool bath temperature and inflammatory markers., Conclusion: High cooling activity of an endovascular feedback device is associated with favorable outcome in patients with severe cerebrovascular disease.

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounted for 9% to 27% of all strokes worldwide in the last decade, with high early case fatality and poor functional outcome. In view of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the management of ICH, the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) has updated its evidence-based guidelines for the management of ICH., Method: A multidisciplinary writing committee of 24 researchers from 11 European countries identified 20 questions relating to ICH management and created recommendations based on the evidence in RCTs using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach., Results: We found moderate- to high-quality evidence to support strong recommendations for managing patients with acute ICH on an acute stroke unit, avoiding hemostatic therapy for acute ICH not associated with antithrombotic drug use, avoiding graduated compression stockings, using intermittent pneumatic compression in immobile patients, and using blood pressure lowering for secondary prevention. We found moderate-quality evidence to support weak recommendations for intensive lowering of systolic blood pressure to <140 mmHg within six-hours of ICH onset, early surgery for patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score 9-12, and avoidance of corticosteroids., Conclusion: These guidelines inform the management of ICH based on evidence for the effects of treatments in RCTs. Outcome after ICH remains poor, prioritizing further RCTs of interventions to improve outcome., (© 2014 World Stroke Organization.)

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for up to 15% of all strokes and is frequently associated with poor functional outcome and high mortality. So far, there is no clear evidence for a specific therapy, apart from general stroke unit or neurointensive care and management of secondary complications. Promising experimental and pilot clinical data support the use of therapeutic hypothermia after intracerebral hemorrhage., Aims: The study aims to determine if therapeutic hypothermia improves survival rates and reduces cerebral lesion volume after large intracerebral hemorrhage compared with conventional treatment., Material and Methods: The Cooling in IntraCerebral Hemorrhage trial is a prospective, multicenter, interventional, randomized, parallel, two-arm (1 : 1) phase II trial with blinded end-point adjudication. Enrolment: 50 patients (age: 18 to 65 years) with large (25 to 64 ml on cranial computertomography), primary intracerebral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia or thalamus within 6 to 18 h after symptom onset are randomly allocated to therapeutic hypothermia for eight-days or conventional temperature management. In the therapeutic hypothermia group, a target temperature of 35.0°C is achieved by endovascular catheters and followed by slow controlled rewarming. Data analysis is based on the intent-to-treat population. The primary outcome measure of the study is the development in total lesion volume on cranial computertomography (intracerebral hemorrhage plus perihemorrhagic edema on day 8 ± 0.5 and day 1 ± 0.5 after intracerebral hemorrhage) and the mortality after 30 days. Secondary end-points are the in-hospital mortality, mortality, and functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale and Barthel-Index) after 90 and 180 days. Safety measures include any adverse events associated with therapeutic hypothermia., Discussion: In the face of a lack of evidence-based therapies for patients with large intracerebral hemorrhage, new promising approaches are desperately needed, but need evaluation in randomized controlled trials., Conclusion: The results of Cooling in IntraCerebral Hemorrhage trial are believed to directly influence future therapy of large intracerebral hemorrhage.

Over 2 million people are affected by intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) worldwide every year, one third of them dying within 1 month, and many survivors being left with permanent disability. Unlike most other stroke types, the incidence, morbidity and mortality of ICH have not declined over time. No standardised diagnostic workup for the detection of the various underlying causes of ICH currently exists, and the evidence for medical or surgical therapeutic interventions remains limited. A dedicated European research programme for ICH is needed to identify ways to reduce the burden of ICH-related death and disability. The European Research Network on Intracerebral Haemorrhage EURONICH is a multidisciplinary academic research collaboration that has been established to define current research priorities and to conduct large clinical studies on all aspects of ICH., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Object: Staphylococcal ventriculitis may be a complication in temporary external ventricular drains (EVDs). The limited penetration of vancomycin into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is well known; the pharmacodynamics and efficacy of systemically compared with intraventricularly administered vancomycin is examined in this prospective study., Methods: Ten patients in whom EVDs were implanted to treat intracranial hemorrhage and who were suffering from drain-associated ventriculitis were randomized into two treatment groups. Five of these patients (median age 47 years) were treated with 2 g/day vancomycin administered intravenously (four infusions/day, Group 1), and the other five(median age 49 years) received 10 mg vancomycin intraventricularly once daily (Group 2). Vancomycin levels were measured in serum and CSF six times a day. The maximum vancomycin level in CSF was 1.73 +/- 0.4 micro/ml in Group 1 and 565.58 +/- 168.71 microg/ml 1 hour after vancomycin application in Group 2 (mean +/- standard deviation). Vancomycin levels above the recommended trough level of 5 microg/ml in CSF were never reached in Group 1, whereas in Group 2 they below the trough level (3.74 +/- 0.66 microg/ml) only at 21 hours after intraventricular vancomycin application. The vancomycin level in the serum was constant within therapeutic levels in Group 1, whereas in Group 2 in most instances vancomycin was almost below a measurable concentration. In both groups bacteriologically and laboratory-confirmed CSF clearance could be obtained., Conclusions: Intraventricular vancomycin application is a safe and efficacious treatment modality in drain-associated ventriculitis, with much higher vancomycin levels being achieved in the ventricular CSF than by intravenous administration.

Background/objective: Monitoring of brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) provides insight into brain pathophysiology after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Integration of probe location is recommended to optimize data interpretation. So far, little is known about the importance of PbtO2 catheter location in ICH patients. Methods: We prospectively included 40 ICH patients after hematoma evacuation (HE) who required PbtO2-monitoring. PbtO2-probe location was evaluated in all head computed tomography (CT) scans within the first 6 days after HE and defined as location in the healthy brain tissue or perilesional when the catheter tip was located within 1 cm of a focal lesion (hypodense or hyperdense). Generalized estimating equations were used to investigate levels of PbtO2 in relation to different probe locations. Results: Patients were 60 [51–66] years old and had a median ICH-volume of 47 [29–60] mL. Neuromonitoring probes remained for a median of 6 [2–11] days. PbtO2-probes were located in healthy brain tissue in 18/40 (45%) patients and in perilesional brain tissue in 22/40 (55%) patients. In the acute phase after HE (0–72 h), PbtO2 levels were significantly lower (21 ± 12 mmHg vs. 29 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.010) and brain tissue hypoxia (BTH) was more common in the perilesional area as compared to healthy brain tissue (46% vs. 19%, adjOR 4.0, 95% CI 1.54–10.58, p = 0.005). Episodes of BTH significantly decreased over time in patients with probes in perilesional location (p = 0.001) but remained stable in normal appearing area (p = 0.485). A significant association between BTH and poor functional outcome was only found when probes were located in the perilesional brain tissue (adjOR 6.6, 95% CI 1.3–33.8, p = 0.023). Conclusions: In the acute phase, BTH was more common in the perilesional area compared to healthy brain tissue. The improvement of BTH in the perilesional area over time may be the result of targeted treatment interventions and tissue regeneration. Due to the localized measurement of invasive neuromonitoring devices, integration of probe location in the clinical management of ICH patients and in research protocols seems mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about endothelial activation under the influence of endovascular temperature management. This analysis was designed to measure the endothelial markers Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and -2 (Ang-2) in endovascularly based prophylactic normothermia versus conventional temperature management. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial patients with spontaneous subarachnoid or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were prospectively enrolled and randomized in two treatment arms: (a) prophylactic normothermia group with target core temperature 36.5°C using endovascular cooling, (b) active control group with conventional stepwise predefined fever management using antipyretic medication and surface cooling. Blood samples were obtained on days 1, 4, and 7. In a substudy Ang-1 and -2 were measured in 63 patients for whom samples on consecutive days were available. Results: The median total fever burden during the course of treatment was 0.0°C and 5.9°C h in the endovascular and the conventional group, respectively ( P < 0.0001). Angiopoietin serum levels did not yield a statistical difference when comparing the two treatment arms. Ang-1 was significantly lowered, whereas Ang-2 levels were significantly elevated on day 4 compared to baseline levels irrespective of group allocation ( P < 0.0001). The application of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with significantly increased Ang-1 ( P < 0.05) and lower Ang-2 levels on day 7 ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Endovascular long-term temperature management did not alter Ang-1 and -2 levels compared to the control group indicating that the endovascular cooling technique itself does not lead to additional endothelial impairment. However, application of NSAIDs led to lower Ang-2 serum concentrations in the endovascular group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vasospasm-related delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) significantly impacts on outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Erythropoietin (EPO) may reduce the severity of cerebral vasospasm and improve outcome, however, underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the effect of EPO on cerebral metabolism and brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2). Methods: Seven consecutive poor grade SAH patients with multimodal neuromonitoring (MM) received systemic EPO therapy (30.000 IU per day for 3 consecutive days) for severe cerebral vasospasm. Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), intracranial pressure (ICP), PbtO2 and brain metabolic changes were analyzed during the next 24 hours after each dose given. Statistical analysis was performed with a mixed effects model. Results: A total of 22 interventions were analyzed. Median age was 47 years (32-68) and 86% were female. Three patients (38%) developed DCI. MAP decreased 2 hours after intervention (P<0.04) without significantly affecting CPP and ICP. PbtO2 significantly increased over time (P<0.05) to a maximum of 7 ± 4 mmHg increase 16 hours after infusion. Brain metabolic parameters did not change over time. Conclusions: EPO increases PbtO2 in poor grade SAH patients with severe cerebral vasospasm. The effect on outcome needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although metabolic abnormalities have been linked with poor outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage, there are limited data addressing the impact of glycemic control or benefits of glucose management after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A systematic literature search was conducted of English-language articles describing original research on glycemic control in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Case reports and case series were excluded. A total of 22 publications were selected for this review. Among the 17 studies investigating glucose as an outcome predictor, glucose levels during hospitalization were more likely to predict outcome than admission glucose. In general, hyperglycemia was linked to worse outcome. While insulin therapy in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients was shown to effectively control plasma glucose levels, plasma glucose control was not necessarily reflective of cerebral glucose such that very tight glucose control may lead to neuroglycopenia. Furthermore, tight glycemic control was associated with an increased risk for hypoglycemia which was linked to worse outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients sustaining facial fractures are at risk for accompanying traumatic intracranial hematomas, which are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Prompt recognition is crucial in improving patient survival and recovery. This study examined which simple clinical signs identify facial fracture patients at risk for intracranial hemorrhage before the performance of computed tomography.Design and Methods: Retrospective study of 2,195 patients with facial fractures during a period of 7 years. By means of univariate and multivariate analysis clinical features potentially predictive for (a) intracranial hemorrhage and (b) surgery for intracranial hemorrhage were identified.Setting: Critical care units of anesthesiology and neurology, general traumatology, and oral and maxillofacial surgery in a level I trauma university hospital.Results: Seizures (OR 22.1) and vomiting/nausea (OR 20.2) were the strongest independent predictors of intracranial bleeding in facial fracture patients. For intracranial hemorrhages requiring surgical intervention closed head injuries (OR 9.75) and cranial vault fractures (OR 5.0) were the most significant risk factors. However, among those patients without vomiting/nausea and without seizures and without closed head injury ( n=1,628), 20 patients (1.2%) suffered intracranial hemorrhage, and six (0.37%) of them required surgical intervention.Conclusions: Simple clinical symptoms, such as seizures, vomiting/nausea, history of a closed head injury or cranial vault fractures are strong predictors for intracranial hemorrhage in facial fracture patients. The early consideration of such important indicators allows us to detect patients at elevated risk of an intracranial hematoma requiring surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which analyze the influence of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion to patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Result shows that RBC transfusion was not associated within neuro-ICU mortality or unfavorable long-term outcome. They also found out that above 41% out of 292 patients have fully recovered with favorable neurologic long-term outcome to all patients with SAH.