Intracerebral hemorrhage: getting ready for effective treatments.
OBJECTIVE
Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most devastating type of stroke and a leading cause of disability and mortality in the United States and the rest of the world. The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in the management of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.


RESULTS
Although no interventions have consistently shown an improvement of mortality or functional outcomes after ICH, results from multicenter prospective randomized controlled trials have shown that early hemostasis to prevent hematoma growth, removal of clot by surgical or minimally invasive interventions, clearance of intraventricular hemorrhage, and adequate blood pressure control for the optimization of cerebral perfusion pressure may constitute the most important therapeutic goals to ameliorate secondary neurological damage, decrease mortality, and improve functional outcomes after ICH.


CONCLUSIONS
Several promising methods may be ready for routine clinical use in a few years to decrease disability and mortality from ICH.
Rincon
Fred
F
Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology and Critical Care, Cooper University Hospital, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
Mayer
Stephan A
SA
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D020299:Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents