Are We Ready to Avert Suicide in Intracerebral Hemorrhage?

Abstract

See related article, pages 1730–1734. Stroke ranks third among all causes of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer.1 Stroke accounts for about 1 in 16 deaths in the United States. Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) comprises between 8% to 14% of all strokes but carries a mortality rate of up to 50% within the first 6 months after onset.1 Functional outcome of ICH survivors is poor with only 20% of them regaining independence at 6 months. Despite such dismal statistics there has been little progress in the field of finding effective treatments that may positively impact the outcome of patients with ICH. Several potential targets for treatment have been identified, tested or are currently undergoing testing in patients with ICH. For instance, one of the major determinants of outcome is hematoma volume.2 The possibility of early surgical evacuation of ICH to reduce mortality has been proposed. However, the Surgical Trial in Intracerebral Hemorrhage (STICH) …