Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage Research Articles

Effects of Achieving Rapid, Intensive, and Sustained Blood Pressure Reduction in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Expansion and Functional Outcome.

The time taken to achieve blood pressure (BP) control could be pivotal in the benefits of reducing BP in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to assess the relationship between the rapid achievement and sustained maintenance of an intensive systolic BP (SBP) target with radiologic, clinical, and functional outcomes. Rapid, Intensive, and Sustained BP lowering in Acute ICH (RAINS) was a multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study of adult patients with ICH <6 hours and SBP ≥150 mm Hg at 4 Comprehensive Stroke Centers during a 4.5-year period. Patients underwent baseline and 24-hour CT scans and 24-hour noninvasive BP monitoring. BP was managed under a rapid (target achievement ≤60 minutes), intensive (target SBP <140 mm Hg), and sustained (target stability for 24 hours) BP protocol. SBP target achievement ≤60 minutes and 24-hour SBP variability were recorded. Outcomes included hematoma expansion (>6 mL or >33%) at 24 hours (primary outcome), early neurologic deterioration (END, 24-hour increase in NIH Stroke Scale score ≥4), and 90-day ordinal modified Rankin scale (mRS) score. Analyses were adjusted by age, sex, anticoagulation, onset-to-imaging time, ICH volume, and intraventricular extension. We included 312 patients (mean age 70.2 ± 13.3 years, 202 [64.7%] male). Hematoma expansion occurred in 70/274 (25.6%) patients, END in 58/291 (19.9%), and the median 90-day mRS score was 4 (interquartile range, 2-5). SBP target achievement ≤60 minutes (178/312 [57.1%]) associated with a lower risk of hematoma expansion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23-0.77), lower END rate (aOR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23-0.80), and lower 90-day mRS scores (aOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.32-0.74). The mean 24-hour SBP variability was 21.0 ± 7.6 mm Hg. Higher 24-hour SBP variability was not related to expansion (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.04) but associated with higher END rate (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09-1.21) and 90-day mRS scores (aOR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04-1.10). Among patients with acute ICH, achieving an intensive SBP target within 60 minutes was associated with lower hematoma expansion risk. Rapid SBP reduction and stable sustention within 24 hours were related to improved clinical and functional outcomes. These findings warrant the design of randomized clinical trials examining the impact of effectively achieving rapid, intensive, and sustained BP control on hematoma expansion. This study provides Class III evidence that in adults with spontaneous ICH and initial SBP ≥150 mm Hg, lowering SBP to <140 mm Hg within the first hour and maintaining this for 24 hours is associated with decreased hematoma expansion.

Usability of serum AIM2 as a predictive biomarker of stroke-associated pneumonia and poor prognosis after acute supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage: A prospective longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundAbsent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) is implicated in inflammatory processes. We measured serum AIM2 with intent to unveil its predictive significance for stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) and functional prognosis following acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, serum AIM2 concentrations of 163 ICH patients were gauged upon admission and 57 of them also consented for measurements at days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14. Coupled with 57 individuals without health conditions, dynamic change of serum AIM2 levels were uncovered. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and hematoma volume were identified as the dual indicators of severity. Poststroke six-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores ranging from 3 to 6 indicated an unfavorable outcome. SAP was observed during the first seven days after ICH. Sequential univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to discern predictors of SAP and adverse prognosis. ResultsThe serum levels of AIM2 in patients exhibited a marked elevation upon admission, reaching peak levels on the third and fifth days, and remained notably elevated until day 14 compared to those of the control group. Serum AIM2 levels showed independent correlations with both NIHSS scores and the volume of hematoma. Additionally, AIM2 concentrations were independently associated with a poor prognosis and SAP at the six-month mark. Within the framework of restricted cubic spline analysis, serum AIM2 concentrations exhibited a linear correlation with the likelihood of developing SAP and experiencing a poor prognosis. In the context of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, serum AIM2 concentrations effectively differentiated risks of SAP and poor prognosis. By employing segmented analysis, serum AIM2 concentrations showed negligible interactions with several traditional variables, such as age, gender, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and more. The integrated model incorporating serum AIM2, NIHSS scores, and the volume of hematoma was depicted by employing a nomogram and demonstrated strong predictive performance for poor prognosis or SAP across various evaluation metrics, including ROC curve analysis, calibration curve analysis, and decision curve analysis. ConclusionSerum AIM2 levels show a marked increase shortly after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which may accurately reflect stroke severity, and effectively predict SAP and poor neurological outcomes, and therefore serum AIM2 stands out as an encouraging predictive indicator for ICH.

Short-term functional outcomes of patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage in the native and expatriate population

Short-term functional outcomes of patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage in the native and expatriate population

The relationship between perihematomal edema and hematoma expansion in acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: an exploratory radiomics analysis study.

The relationship between early perihematomal edema (PHE) and hematoma expansion (HE) is unclear. We investigated this relationship in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), using radiomics. In this multicenter retrospective study, we analyzed 490 patients with spontaneous ICH who underwent non-contrast computed tomography within 6 h of symptom onset, with follow-up imaging at 24 h. We performed HE and PHE image segmentation, and feature extraction and selection to identify HE-associated optimal radiomics features. We calculated radiomics scores of hematoma (Radscores_HEA) and PHE (Radscores_PHE) and constructed a combined model (Radscore_HEA_PHE). Relationships of the PHE radiomics features or Radscores_PHE with clinical variables, hematoma imaging signs, Radscores_HEA, and HE were assessed by univariate, correlation, and multivariate analyses. We compared predictive performances in the training (n = 296) and validation (n = 194) cohorts. Shape_VoxelVolume and Shape_MinorAxisLength of PHE were identified as optimal radiomics features associated with HE. Radscore_PHE (odds ratio = 1.039, p = 0.032) was an independent HE risk factor after adjusting for the ICH onset time, Glasgow Coma Scale score, baseline hematoma volume, hematoma shape, hematoma density, midline shift, and Radscore_HEA. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Radscore_PHE in the training and validation cohorts were 0.808 and 0.739, respectively. After incorporating Radscore_PHE, the integrated discrimination improvements of Radscore_HEA_PHE in the training and validation cohorts were 0.009 (p = 0.086) and -0.011 (p < 0.001), respectively. Radscore_PHE, based on Shape_VoxelVolume and Shape_MinorAxisLength of PHE, independently predicts HE, while Radscore_PHE did not add significant incremental value to Radscore_HEA.

Radiomic Features of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage on Non-Contrast CT Associated with Patient Survival.

The mortality rate of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can reach up to 40%. Although the radiomics of ICH have been linked to hematoma expansion and outcomes, no research to date has explored their correlation with mortality. In this study, we determined the admission non-contrast head CT radiomic correlates of survival in supratentorial ICH, using the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage II (ATACH-II) trial dataset. We extracted 107 original radiomic features from n = 871 admission non-contrast head CT scans. The Cox Proportional Hazards model, Kaplan-Meier Analysis, and logistic regression were used to analyze survival. In our analysis, the "first-order energy" radiomics feature, a metric that quantifies the sum of squared voxel intensities within a region of interest in medical images, emerged as an independent predictor of higher mortality risk (Hazard Ratio of 1.64, p < 0.0001), alongside age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and baseline International Normalized Ratio (INR). Using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, "the first-order energy" was a predictor of mortality at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month post-ICH (all p < 0.0001), with Area Under the Curves (AUC) of >0.67. Our findings highlight the potential role of admission CT radiomics in predicting ICH survival, specifically, a higher "first-order energy" or very bright hematomas are associated with worse survival outcomes.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis Presenting as Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report

We present a 66-year-old male presenting with sudden onset of headache. Medical decompression was done and neuroimaging of plain cranial CT angiogram (CTA) and CT venogram (CTV) showed components of subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage and hyperdense appearance of the superior sagittal sinus and proximal left transverse sinus. The following were done to look for etiologic factors: 1. fungal swab to determine the cause of the intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to venous thrombosis as the patient presented with a chronic history of sinusitis, 2. coagulopathy workup to look for a hypercoagulable state, and 3. workup for systemic disease of autoimmune in etiology. Anticoagulation was safely initiated within several days given the regression of the intracerebral hemorrhage along with stable findings of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Here we report cerebral venous sinus thrombosis rarely presenting as acute subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. Keywords: Cerebral venous thrombosis, superior sagittal sinus thrombosis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage

P2Y12 inhibitor use predicts hematoma expansion in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Hematoma expansion (HE) predicts disability and death after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Aspirin and anticoagulants have been associated with HE. We tested the hypothesis that P2Y12 inhibitors predict subsequent HE in patients. We explored laboratory measures of P2Y12 inhibition and dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin (DAPT). We prospectively identified patients with ICH. Platelet activity was measured with the VerifyNow-P2Y12 assay. Hematoma volumes for initial and follow-up CTs were calculated using a validated semi-automated technique. HE was defined as the difference between hematoma volumes on the initial and follow-up CT scans. Nonparametric statistics were performed with Kruskal-Wallis H, and correction for multiple comparisons performed with Dunn's test. In 194 patients, 15 (7.7%) were known to take a P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel in all but one). Patients taking a P2Y12 inhibitor had more HE compared to patients not taking a P2Y12 inhibitor (3.5 [1.2-11.9] vs. 0.1 [-0.8-1.4] mL, p = 0.004). Patients taking DAPT experienced the most HE (7.2 [2.6-13.8] vs. 0.0 [-1.0-1.1] mL, p = 0.04). The use of P2Y12 inhibitors was associated with less P2Y12 activity (178 [149-203] vs. 288 [246-319] P2Y12 reaction units, p = 0.005). Patients taking a P2Y12 inhibitor had more HE and less P2Y12 activity. The effect was most pronounced in patients on DAPT, suggesting a synergistic effect of P2Y12 inhibitors and aspirin with respect to HE. Acute reversal of P2Y12 inhibitors in acute ICH requires further study.

Tranexamic acid versus placebo in individuals with intracerebral haemorrhage treated within 2 h of symptom onset (STOP-MSU): an international, double-blind, randomised, phase 2 trial

Tranexamic acid, an antifibrinolytic agent, might attenuate haematoma growth after an intracerebral haemorrhage. We aimed to determine whether treatment with intravenous tranexamic acid within 2 h of an intracerebral haemorrhage would reduce haematoma growth compared with placebo. STOP-MSU was an investigator-led, double-blind, randomised, phase 2 trial conducted at 24 hospitals and one mobile stroke unit in Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Viet Nam. Eligible participants had acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage confirmed on non-contrast CT, were aged 18 years or older, and could be treated with the investigational product within 2 h of stroke onset. Using randomly permuted blocks (block size of 4) and a concealed pre-randomised assignment procedure, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous tranexamic acid (1 g over 10 min followed by 1 g over 8 h) or placebo (saline; matched dosing regimen) commencing within 2 h of symptom onset. Participants, investigators, and treating teams were masked to group assignment. The primary outcome was haematoma growth, defined as either at least 33% relative growth or at least 6 mL absolute growth on CT at 24 h (target range 18-30 h) from the baseline CT. The analysis was conducted within the estimand framework with primary analyses adhering to the intention-to-treat principle. The primary endpoint and secondary safety endpoints (mortality at days 7 and 90 and major thromboembolic events at day 90) were assessed in all participants randomly assigned to treatment groups who did not withdraw consent to use any data. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03385928, and the trial is now complete. Between March 19, 2018, and Feb 27, 2023, 202 participants were recruited, of whom one withdrew consent for any data use. The remaining 201 participants were randomly assigned to either placebo (n=98) or tranexamic acid (n=103; intention-to-treat population). Median age was 66 years (IQR 55-77), and 82 (41%) were female and 119 (59%) were male; no data on race or ethnicity were collected. CT scans at baseline or follow-up were missing or of inadequate quality in three participants (one in the placebo group and two in the tranexamic acid group), and were considered missing at random. Haematoma growth occurred in 37 (38%) of 97 assessable participants in the placebo group and 43 (43%) of 101 assessable participants in the tranexamic acid group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1·31 [95% CI 0·72 to 2·40], p=0·37). Major thromboembolic events occurred in one (1%) of 98 participants in the placebo group and three (3%) of 103 in the tranexamic acid group (risk difference 0·02 [95% CI -0·02 to 0·06]). By 7 days, eight (8%) participants in the placebo group and eight (8%) in the tranexamic acid group had died (aOR 1·08 [95% CI 0·35 to 3·35]) and by 90 days, 15 (15%) participants in the placebo group and 19 (18%) in the tranexamic acid group had died (aOR 1·61 [95% CI 0·65 to 3·98]). Intravenous tranexamic acid did not reduce haematoma growth when administered within 2 h of intracerebral haemorrhage symptom onset. There were no observed effects on other imaging endpoints, functional outcome, or safety. Based on our results, tranexamic acid should not be used routinely in primary intracerebral haemorrhage, although results of ongoing phase 3 trials will add further context to these findings. Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund.

Trial of Early Minimally Invasive Removal of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BackgroundTrials of surgical evacuation of supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhages have generally shown no functional benefit. Whether early minimally invasive surgical removal would result in better outcomes than medical management is not known.MethodsIn this multicenter, randomized trial involving patients with an acute intracerebral hemorrhage, we assessed surgical removal of the hematoma as compared with medical management. Patients who had a lobar or anterior basal ganglia hemorrhage with a hematoma volume of 30 to 80 ml were assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, within 24 hours after the time that they were last known to be well, to minimally invasive surgical removal of the hematoma plus guideline-based medical management (surgery group) or to guideline-based medical management alone (control group). The primary efficacy end point was the mean score on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale (range, 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating better outcomes, according to patients’ assessment) at 180 days, with a prespecified threshold for posterior probability of superiority of 0.975 or higher. The trial included rules for adaptation of enrollment criteria on the basis of hemorrhage location. A primary safety end point was death within 30 days after enrollment.ResultsA total of 300 patients were enrolled, of whom 30.7% had anterior basal ganglia hemorrhages and 69.3% had lobar hemorrhages. After 175 patients had been enrolled, an adaptation rule was triggered, and only persons with lobar hemorrhages were enrolled. The mean score on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale at 180 days was 0.458 in the surgery group and 0.374 in the control group (difference, 0.084; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.005 to 0.163; posterior probability of superiority of surgery, 0.981). The mean between-group difference was 0.127 (95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.035 to 0.219) among patients with lobar hemorrhages and −0.013 (95% Bayesian credible interval, −0.147 to 0.116) among those with anterior basal ganglia hemorrhages. The percentage of patients who had died by 30 days was 9.3% in the surgery group and 18.0% in the control group. Five patients (3.3%) in the surgery group had postoperative rebleeding and neurologic deterioration.ConclusionsAmong patients in whom surgery could be performed within 24 hours after an acute intracerebral hemorrhage, minimally invasive hematoma evacuation resulted in better functional outcomes at 180 days than those with guideline-based medical management. The effect of surgery appeared to be attributable to intervention for lobar hemorrhages. (Funded by Nico; ENRICH ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02880878.)

Comparison of stress hyperglycemia ratio and glycemic gap on acute ICH in-hospital outcomes.

To compare the effect of different indicators on stress-induced hyperglycemia for predicting in-hospital outcomes of acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Using data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance database, which is a national, multicenter, prospective, and consecutive program. Stress-induced hyperglycemia was described as glycemic gap (GG, defined as fasting blood glucose [FBG] minus estimated average blood glucose) and stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR, defined as FBG-to-estimated average blood glucose ratio [SHR 1] or FBG-to-HbA1c ratio [SHR 2]). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the second outcome was hematoma expansion. A total of 71,333 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage were included. In multivariate analyses, the highest levels of GG (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.12-2.51), SHR 1 (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.15-2.60), and SHR 2 (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.33-3.23) were associated with in-hospital death (all the p trends <0.01). Only the highest level of SHR 2 (OR 1.24 [1.02-1.51], p trend >0.05) was related to hematoma expansion. No association between GG or SHR 1 and hematoma expansion was observed. The areas under the ROC curve of GG, SHR 1, and SHR 2 for in-hospital mortality were 0.8808 (95% CI 0.8603-0.9014), 0.8796 (95% CI 0.8589-0.9002), and 0.8806 (95% CI 0.8600-0.9012). The areas under the ROC curve of SHR 2 for hematoma expansion were 0.7133 (95% CI 0.6964-0.7302). SHR (FBG-to-HbA1c ratio) was associated with both in-hospital death and hematoma expansion in intracerebral hemorrhage, and might serve as an accessory indicator for the in-hospital prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Cognitive Outcome after Acute Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Analysis of the iDEF Randomized Trial.

The impact of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) on cognition and the determinants of cognitive recovery early after ICH remain elusive. In this post hoc analysis of the intracerebral hemorrhage deferoxamine (iDEF) trial, we examined the trajectories of cognitive impairment and the determinants of early cognitive recovery after ICH. We examined baseline factors associated with a 90-day cognitive outcome and constructed generalized linear mixed models to examine the trajectory of cognitive function over time among iDEF participants. Cognition was measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores on days 7, 30, and 90. 291 were available for analysis under the trial's modified intention-to-treat definition (38% female, mean age 60.3 ± 12.0 years, median NIHSS 13, IQR 8-18). The median baseline ICH volume was 12.9 IQR (6.4-26.0) mL; 59 (20%) of the ICH cases were lobar, 120 (41%) had intraventricular extension. There was an overall significant increase in total MOCA score with time (p &lt; 0.0001). Total MOCA score increased by an estimated 3.9 points (95% CI: 3.1, 4.7) between the day 7 and day 30 assessments and by an additional 2.9 points (95% CI: 2.2, 3.6) between the day 30 and day 90 assessments. Despite the overall improvement, 134 of 205 (65%) patients with an available 90-day MoCA score remained cognitively impaired with a score &lt;26 on day 90. Older age, higher NIHSS score, baseline ICH volume, intraventricular hemorrhage, and perihematoma edema had an adjusted negative impact on cognitive recovery. Although ICH survivors exhibit significant improvement of cognitive status over the first 3 months, cognitive performance remains impaired in the majority of patients. Among factors independently associated with worse cognitive recovery, higher baseline ICH, intraventricular blood and perihematomal edema volumes, are potential therapeutic targets that merit further exploration.

Influence of Time to Achieve Target Systolic Blood Pressure on Outcome After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: The Blood Pressure in Acute Stroke Collaboration.

To investigate whether an earlier time to achieving and maintaining systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 120 to 140 mm Hg is associated with favorable outcomes in a cohort of patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage. We pooled individual patient data from randomized controlled trials registered in the Blood Pressure in Acute Stroke Collaboration. Time was defined as time form symptom onset plus the time (hour) to first achieve and subsequently maintain SBP at 120 to 140 mm Hg over 24 hours. The primary outcome was functional status measured by the modified Rankin Scale at 90 to 180 days. A generalized linear mixed models was used, with adjustment for covariables and trial as a random effect. A total of 5761 patients (mean age, 64.0 [SD, 13.0], 2120 [36.8%] females) were included in analyses. Earlier SBP control was associated with better functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score, 3-6; odds ratio, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.97-0.99]) and a significant lower risk of hematoma expansion (0.98, 0.96-1.00). This association was stronger in patients with bigger baseline hematoma volume (>10 mL) compared with those with baseline hematoma volume ≤10 mL (0.006 for interaction). Earlier SBP control was not associated with cardiac or renal adverse events. Our study confirms a clear time relation between early versus later SBP control (120-140 mm Hg) and outcomes in the one-third of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who attained sustained SBP levels within this range. These data provide further support for the value of early recognition, rapid transport, and prompt initiation of treatment of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Effect of Astragalus Membranaceus on Neurological Function in Acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients with high inflammation: A Preliminary Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background and AimAstragalus membranaceus (AM) is a traditional Chinese herb. Our previous study revealed that AM can enhance neurological function in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to investigated the effects of AM on patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Experimental procedureEighty-eight patients experiencing acute aSAH were randomly allocated to either the treatment group (TG) comprising 44 patients, who received 3 g of AM orally thrice daily for 14 days, or the control group (CG) with 44 patients, who received 3 g of a placebo. ResultsEighty-three patients (41 in CG and 42 in TG) completed the trial. Stratified analyses revealed serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) median ≥ 7.28 pg/mL at baseline. The percentage of good GOS scores (GOS 4 or 5) at two weeks (W2) and four weeks (W4) was significantly higher in TG than in CG (W2: 35.3% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.042; W4: 62.5% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.044). Moreover, a higher percentage of Barthel index scores (> 60) was observed in TG than in CG at W2 (35.3% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.042) after AM or placebo administration. ConclusionAdministering AM for 14 days has shown potential in enhancing neurological function four weeks post-aSAH onset, especially in patients with a serum IL-6 level median ≥ 7.28 pg/mL. Therefore, further research is warranted to explore the anti-inflammatory role of AM. However, this study's limitations include a small sample size and the single-center design, signifying its status as a preliminary investigation.

Effects of an early intensive blood pressure-lowering strategy using remifentanil and dexmedetomidine in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a multicenter, prospective, superiority, randomized controlled trial.

Although it has been established that elevated blood pressure and its variability worsen outcomes in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, antihypertensives use during the acute phase still lacks robust evidence. A blood pressure-lowering regimen using remifentanil and dexmedetomidine might be a reasonable therapeutic option given their analgesic and anti-sympathetic effects. The objective of this superiority trial was to validate the efficacy and safety of this blood pressure-lowering strategy that uses remifentanil and dexmedetomidine in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage. In this multicenter, prospective, single-blinded, superiority randomized controlled trial, patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥150 mmHg were randomly allocated to the intervention group (a preset protocol with a standard guideline management using remifentanil and dexmedetomidine) or the control group (standard guideline-based management) to receive blood pressure-lowering treatment. The primary outcome was the SBP control rate (<140 mmHg) at 1 h posttreatment initiation. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure variability, neurologic function and clinical outcomes. A total of 338 patients were allocated to the intervention (n = 167) or control group (n = 171). The SBP control rate at 1 h posttreatment initiation in the intervention group was higher than that in controls (101/161, 62.7% vs. 66/166, 39.8%, difference 23.2%, 95% CI, 12.4 to 34.1%, P < 0.001). Analysis of secondary outcomes indicated that patients in the intervention group could effectively reduce agitation while achieving lighter sedation, but no improvement in clinical outcomes was observed. Regarding safety, the incidence of bradycardia and respiratory depression was higher in the intervention group. Among intracerebral hemorrhage patients with a SBP ≥ 150 mmHg, a preset protocol using a remifentanil and dexmedetomidine-based standard guideline management significantly increased the SBP control rate at 1 h posttreatment compared with the standard guideline-based management. (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03207100, Registration date: June 30, 2017).

Age-Specific Association of Co-Morbidity With Home-Time After Acute Stroke.

To examine the association of co-morbidity with home-time after acute stroke and whether the association is influenced by age. We conducted a province-wide study using linked administrative databases to identify all admissions for first acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage between 2007 and 2018 in Alberta, Canada. We used ischemic stroke-weighted Charlson Co-morbidity Index of 3 or more to identify those with severe co-morbidity. We used zero-inflated negative binomial models to determine the association of severe co-morbidity with 90-day and 1-year home-time, and logistic models for achieving ≥ 80 out of 90 days of home-time, assessing for effect modification by age and adjusting for sex, stroke type, comprehensive stroke center care, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, year of study, and separately adjusting for estimated stroke severity. We also evaluated individual co-morbidities. Among 28,672 patients in our final cohort, severe co-morbidity was present in 27.7% and was associated with lower home-time, with a greater number of days lost at younger age (-13 days at age < 60 compared to -7 days at age 80+ years for 90-day home-time; -69 days at age < 60 compared to -51 days at age 80+ years for 1-year home-time). The reduction in probability of achieving ≥ 80 days of home-time was also greater at younger age (-22.7% at age < 60 years compared to -9.0% at age 80+ years). Results were attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for estimated stroke severity and excluding those who died. Myocardial infarction, diabetes, and cancer/metastases had a greater association with lower home-time at younger age, and those with dementia had the greatest reduction in home time. Severe co-morbidity in acute stroke is associated with lower home-time, more strongly at younger age.

Peripheral T cell immune repertoire is associated with the outcomes of acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Systematic immune responses have been identified in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). T cells have been established to participate in central nervous system damage and repair following brain injury. However, their contribution to the prognosis of patients with ICH remains to be elucidated. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 45 patients with acute spontaneous ICH (<24 h from symptom onset). Our results exposed significant negative correlations between hematoma volume/white blood cell (WBC) density and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Contrastingly, lymphocyte density was negatively correlated with hematoma volume and positively correlated with GCS score. Moreover, flow cytometry determined that ICH activated T cells despite their proportion being lower in blood. Afterward, immune repertoire sequencing (IR-seq) revealed a significant decrease in VJ, VDJ usage, and TCR clonotypes in ICH patients. Finally, variations in the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) amino acid (aa) were also detected in ICH patients. This study reveals the occurrence of peripheral T-cell diminishment and activation in response to acute hematoma. ICH lesion also alters the T cell receptor (TCR) immune repertoire, which is associated with patient prognosis.

Advances in Prehospital Management of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Spontaneous acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with greater stroke-related disability and mortality. Hematoma expansion (HME), an important treatment target in acute ICH, is time-dependent, with a greater probability of hematoma growth occurring <3 hours from ICH onset. Promising treatment options to reduce HME include early intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction and the administration of hemostatic or anticoagulant reversal agents, yet large phase III clinical trials have so far failed to show overwhelming benefit for these interventions in acute ICH. Post-hoc analyses provide evidence, however, that the therapeutic benefit of such treatments is enhanced by rapid and ultra-early intervention, likely driven in large part by attenuation of early HME. Clinical trials assessing ultra-rapid treatments (<2 hours from ICH onset), including study procedures in the ambulance setting are currently underway, and demonstrate that the prehospital phase is a critical window for ICH management and an indispensable area of ICH research. Mobile stroke units, specialized ambulances equipped with imaging capabilities can provide confirmatory diagnosis and expedite treatments, as in acute ischemic stroke. Nevertheless, multiple barriers (financial, organisational, geographical among others) hinder worldwide implementation. Emerging portable technologies as well as point-of-care measures of blood biomarkers show promise as feasible adjunct tools to discriminate ICH from AIS in the field and have the potential for widespread accessibility. Ultra-early interventions in acute ICH are likely necessary to mitigate the risk of HME, and as such, the prehospital setting is ideal to initiate time-sensitive ICH therapies. As such, reliable prehospital acute ICH detection is essential to provide disease-specific treatments. Overall, it is imperative that "Time is brain" become the mantra not only for ischemic stroke but for ICH as well, and that the promise of ultra-early therapies for ICH be translated into concrete benefits for patients with this devastating condition.

A Prospective Cohort Study of Elevated Serum NLRP1 Levels to Prognosticate Neurological Outcome After Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage at a Single Academic Institution.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 1 (NLRP1) participates in neuroinflammation. This study aimed to identify serum NLRP as a potential prognostic biomarker of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This prospective cohort study enrolled 145 patients with supratentorial ICH and 51 healthy controls. Serum NLRP1 levels were quantified on admission of all 145 patients, on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 after stroke in 51 of 145 patients and at entry into the study of controls. Poststroke 6-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 3-6 signified a poor prognosis. Compared to controls, patients had prominently increased serum NLRP1 levels until day 10 after ICH, with the highest levels at days 1 and 3. Serum NLRP1 levels were independently correlated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, hematoma volume and six-month mRS scores, and independently predicted six-month bad prognosis. A linear relationship was observed between serum NLRP1 levels and the risk of poor prognosis in a restricted cubic spline. Under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, serum NLRP levels efficiently discriminated poor prognosis. Serum NLRP1, NIHSS, and hematoma volume were merged into a prognosis prediction model, which was portrayed using a nomogram. Good performance of the model was verified using calibration curve, decision curve, and ROC curve. Serum NLRP1 levels are elevated during the early period following ICH and are independently related to hemorrhagic severity and poor prognosis, suggesting that serum NLRP1 may represent a promising prognostic biomarker of ICH.

Enhancing blood pressure management protocol implementation in patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage through a nursing-led approach: A retrospective cohort study.

To evaluate the impact of nurse care changes in implementing a blood pressure management protocol on achieving rapid, intensive and sustained blood pressure reduction in acute intracerebral haemorrhage patients. Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data over 6 years. Intracerebral haemorrhage patients within 6 h and systolic blood pressure ≥ 150 mmHg followed a rapid (starting treatment at computed tomography suite with a target achievement goal of ≤60 min), intensive (target systolic blood pressure < 140 mmHg) and sustained (maintaining target stability for 24 h) blood pressure management plan. We differentiated six periods: P1, stroke nurse at computed tomography suite (baseline period); P2, antihypertensive titration by stroke nurse; P3, retraining by neurologists; P4, integration of a stroke advanced practice nurse; P5, after COVID-19 impact; and P6, retraining by stroke advanced practice nurse. Outcomes included first-hour target achievement (primary outcome), tomography-to-treatment and treatment-to-target times, first-hour maximum dose of antihypertensive treatment and 6-h and 24-h systolic blood pressure variability. Compared to P1, antihypertensive titration by stroke nurses (P2) reduced treatment-to-target time and increased the rate of first-hour target achievement, retraining of stroke nurses by neurologists (P3) maintained a higher rate of first-hour target achievement and the integration of a stroke advanced practice nurse (P4) reduced both 6-h and 24-h systolic blood pressure variability. However, 6-h systolic blood pressure variability increased from P4 to P5 following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, compared to P1, retraining of stroke nurses by stroke advanced practice nurse (P6) reduced tomography-to-treatment time and increased the first-hour maximum dose of antihypertensive treatment. Changes in nursing care and continuous education can significantly enhance the time metrics and blood pressure outcomes in acute intracerebral haemorrhage patients. STROBE guidelines. No Patient or Public Contribution.

Efficacy and safety of NeuroEndoscopic Surgery for IntraCerebral Hemorrhage: A randomized, controlled, open-label, blinded endpoint trial (NESICH).

Neuroendoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for clot evacuation in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) which may have advantages compared with open surgical evacuation procedures. The application of neuroendoscopy in ICH has attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, it remains unclear whether it could improve outcomes in patients with ICH. The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation surgery compared with standard conservative treatment for spontaneous deep supratentorial cerebral hemorrhage. The Efficacy and safety of NeuroEndoscopic Surgery for IntraCerebral Hemorrhage (NESICH) Trial is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoint clinical trial. Up to 560 eligible subjects with acute deep supratentorial ICH will be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation or standard conservative treatment at more than 30 qualified neurosurgery centers in China. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with a good functional outcome (mRS score 0-3) in both groups at 180 days after onset. The main safety endpoints include all-cause mortality at 7, 30, and 180 days, rebleeding at 3, 7, and 30 days, and serious complications within 180 days. NESICH will provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation surgery in ICH patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05539859.