2024 AHA/ASA Performance and Quality Measures for Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Report From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association released a revised spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage guideline in 2022. A working group of stroke experts reviewed this guideline and identified a subset of recommendations that were deemed suitable for creating performance measures. These 15 performance measures encompass a wide spectrum of intracerebral hemorrhage patient care, from prehospital to posthospital settings, highlighting the importance of timely interventions. The measures also include 5 quality measures and address potential challenges in data collection, with the aim of future improvements.

Code ICH: A Call to Action.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is the most serious type of stroke, leading to high rates of severe disability and mortality. Hematoma expansion is an independent predictor of poor functional outcome and is a compelling target for intervention. For decades, randomized trials aimed at decreasing hematoma expansion through single interventions have failed to meet their primary outcomes of statistically significant improvement in neurological outcomes. A wide range of evidence suggests that ultra-early bundled care, with multiple simultaneous interventions in the acute phase, offers the best hope of limiting hematoma expansion and improving functional recovery. Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who fail to receive early aggressive care have worse outcomes, suggesting that an important treatment opportunity exists. This consensus statement puts forth a call to action to establish a protocol for Code ICH, similar to current strategies used for the management of acute ischemic stroke, through which early intervention, bundled care, and time-based metrics have substantially improved neurological outcomes. Based on current evidence, we advocate for the widespread adoption of an early bundle of care for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage focused on time-based metrics for blood pressure control and emergency reversal of anticoagulation, with the goal of optimizing the benefit of these already widely used interventions. We hope Code ICH will endure as a structural platform for continued innovation, standardization of best practices, and ongoing quality improvement for years to come.

An Update on Curing Coma Campaign.

The Curing Coma Campaign (CCC) and its contributing collaborators identified multiple key areas of knowledge and research gaps in coma and disorders of consciousness (DoC). This step was a crucial effort and essential to prioritize future educational and research efforts. These key areas include defining categories of DoC, assessing DoC using multimodal approach (e.g., behavioral assessment tools, advanced neuroimaging studies), discussing optimal clinical trials' design and exploring computational models to conduct clinical trials in patients with DoC, and establishing common data elements to standardize data collection. Other key areas focused on creating coma care registry and educating clinicians and patients and promoting awareness of DoC to improve care in patients with DoC. The ongoing efforts in these key areas are discussed.

Optimal Design of Clinical Trials Involving Persons with Disorders of Consciousness.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding the optimal clinical trial design for studies involving persons with disorders of consciousness (DoC), and only a few therapies have been tested in high-quality clinical trials. To address this, the Curing Coma Campaign Clinical Trial Working Group performed a gap analysis on the current state of clinical trials in DoC to identify the optimal clinical design for studies involving persons with DoC. METHODS: The Curing Coma Campaign Clinical Trial Working Group was divided into three subgroups to (1) review clinical trials involving persons with DoC, (2) identify unique challenges in the design of clinical trials involving persons with DoC, and (3) recommend optimal clinical trial designs for DoC. RESULTS: There were 3055 studies screened, and 66 were included in this review. Several knowledge gaps and unique challenges were identified. There is a lack of high-quality clinical trials, and most data regarding patients with DoC are based on observational studies focusing on patients with traumatic brain injury and cardiac arrest. There is a lack of a structured long-term outcome assessment with significant heterogeneity in the methodology, definitions of outcomes, and conduct of studies, especially for long-term follow-up. Another major barrier to conducting clinical trials is the lack of resources, especially in low-income countries. Based on the available data, we recommend incorporating trial designs that use master protocols, sequential multiple assessment randomized trials, and comparative effectiveness research. Adaptive platform trials using a multiarm, multistage approach offer substantial advantages and should make use of biomarkers to assess treatment responses to increase trial efficiency. Finally, sound infrastructure and international collaboration are essential to facilitate the conduct of trials in patients with DoC. CONCLUSIONS: Conduct of trials in patients with DoC should make use of master protocols and adaptive design and establish international registries incorporating standardized assessment tools. This will allow the establishment of evidence-based practice recommendations and decrease variations in care.

Common Data Elements for Disorders of Consciousness: Recommendations from the Working Group on Hospital Course, Confounders, and Medications.

The convergence of an interdisciplinary team of neurocritical care specialists to organize the Curing Coma Campaign is the first effort of its kind to coordinate national and international research efforts aimed at a deeper understanding of disorders of consciousness (DoC). This process of understanding includes translational research from bench to bedside, descriptions of systems of care delivery, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and ethical frameworks. The description and measurement of varying confounding factors related to hospital care was thought to be critical in furthering meaningful research in patients with DoC. Interdisciplinary hospital care is inherently varied across geographical areas as well as community and academic medical centers. Access to monitoring technologies, specialist consultation (medical, nursing, pharmacy, respiratory, and rehabilitation), staffing resources, specialty intensive and acute care units, specialty medications and specific surgical, diagnostic and interventional procedures, and imaging is variable, and the impact on patient outcome in terms of DoC is largely unknown. The heterogeneity of causes in DoC is the source of some expected variability in care and treatment of patients, which necessitated the development of a common nomenclature and set of data elements for meaningful measurement across studies. Guideline adherence in hemorrhagic stroke and severe traumatic brain injury may also be variable due to moderate or low levels of evidence for many recommendations. This article outlines the process of the development of common data elements for hospital course, confounders, and medications to streamline definitions and variables to collect for clinical studies of DoC.

The Curing Coma Campaign and the Future of Coma Research.

Recovery from coma or disordered consciousness is a central issue in patients with acute brain injuries such as stroke, trauma, cardiac arrest, and brain infections. Yet, major gaps remain in the scientific underpinnings of coma and this has led to inaccuracy in prognostication and limited interventions for coma recovery. Even so, recent studies have begun to elucidate mechanisms of consciousness early and prolonged after acute brain injury and some pilot interventions have begun to be tested. The importance and scope of this led in 2019 to the development of the Curing Coma Campaign, an initiative of the Neurocritical Care Society designed to provide a platform for scientific collaboration across the patient care continuum and to empower a community for purposes of research, education, implementation science, and advocacy. Seen as a "grand challenge," the Curing Coma Campaign has developed an infrastructure of scientific working groups and operational modules, along with a 10-year roadmap.

Blood Pressure in Acute Stroke and Secondary Stroke Prevention.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypertension is common in patients presenting with stroke and is independently associated with unfavorable outcomes. This article reviews current guidelines for early management of blood pressure (BP) and highlights the findings of recent investigative works. RECENT FINDINGS: Intensive blood pressure reduction after receiving alteplase has not been shown to improve outcomes. Patients with large vessel occlusions may benefit from lower blood pressure targets post-intervention. Retrospective analyses of large intracerebral hemorrhage trials suggest that specific subgroups of patients may disproportionately benefit from or be harmed by intensive BP reduction. Robust data for management of blood pressure in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients is lacking and expert consensus continues to guide decision-making. Despite the impact of hypertension on outcomes, most prospective trials assessing efficacy of blood pressure reduction have yielded neutral or inconclusive results. Further trials are necessary to determine which patient populations are most likely to benefit from blood pressure control.

Improved Pressure Equalization Ratio Following Mannitol Administration in Patients With Severe TBI: A Preliminary Study of a Potential Bedside Marker for Response to Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Performing a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage challenge can be used to measure the pressure equalization (PE) ratio, which describes the extent to which CSF drainage can equalize pressure to the height of the external ventricular drain and may serve as a correlate of cerebral edema. We sought to assess whether treatment with mannitol improves PE ratio in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). METHODS: We studied consecutive patients with TBI and brain edema on computed tomography scan and an external ventricular drain (EVD), admitted to the neurointensive care unit. PE ratio, defined as ICP prior to CSF drainage minus ICP after CSF drainage divided by ICP prior to CSF drainage minus EVD height, was measured as previously described. Patients were treated with mannitol for raised ICP based on clinical indication and PE ratio measured before and after mannitol administration. RESULTS: We studied 20 patients with severe TBI with raised ICP. Mean ICP prior to mannitol treatment was 29 ± 7 mm Hg. PE ratio rose substantially after mannitol treatment (0.62 ± 0.24 vs. 0.29 ± 0.20, p < 0.0001), indicating an improved ability to drain CSF and equalize ICP with the preset height of the EVD. The combination of mannitol and CSF drainage led to an improved reduction in ICP compared with that seen before mannitol therapy (11 ± 2 mm Hg vs. 6 ± 2 mm Hg, p < 0.01), and led to a decrease in ICP below the 20 mm Hg threshold in 77% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with mannitol leads to a substantial improvement in PE ratio that reflects the ability to achieve a greater decrease in ICP when CSF drainage is performed after mannitol administration. This preliminary study raises the possibility that PE ratio may be useful to follow response to therapy in patients with cerebral edema and raised ICP. Further studies to determine whether PE ratio may serve as an easily obtained and clinically useful surrogate marker for the extent of brain edema are warranted.

Early Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders and Outcome After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are commonly used after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and have been shown to be a predictor of mortality independent of disease severity. We determined the frequency of early DNR orders in ICH patients and whether a previously reported association with increased mortality still exists. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients discharged from non-federal California hospitals with a primary diagnosis of ICH from January 2013 through December 2014. Characteristics included hospital ICH volume and type and whether DNR order was placed within 24 h of admission (early DNR order). The risk of in-hospital mortality was evaluated both on the individual and hospital level using multivariable analyses. A case mix-adjusted hospital DNR index was calculated for each hospital by comparing the actual number of DNR cases with the expected number of DNR cases from a multivariate model. RESULTS: A total of 9,958 patients were treated in 180 hospitals. Early DNR orders were placed in 20.1% of patients and 54.2% of these patients died during their hospitalization compared to 16.0% of patients without an early DNR order. For every 10% increase in a hospital's utilization of early DNR orders, there was a corresponding 26% increase in the likelihood of in-hospital mortality. Patients treated in hospitals within the highest quartile of adjusted DNR use had a higher relative risk of death compared to the lowest quartile (RR 3.9 vs 5.2) though the trend across quartiles was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The use of early DNR orders for ICH continues to be a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality. However, patients treated at hospitals with an overall high or low use of early DNR had similar relative risks of death whether or not there was an early DNR order, suggesting that such orders may not be a proxy for less aggressive care as seen previously.

Proceedings of the First Curing Coma Campaign NIH Symposium: Challenging the Future of Research for Coma and Disorders of Consciousness.

Coma and disorders of consciousness (DoC) are highly prevalent and constitute a burden for patients, families, and society worldwide. As part of the Curing Coma Campaign, the Neurocritical Care Society partnered with the National Institutes of Health to organize a symposium bringing together experts from all over the world to develop research targets for DoC. The conference was structured along six domains: (1) defining endotype/phenotypes, (2) biomarkers, (3) proof-of-concept clinical trials, (4) neuroprognostication, (5) long-term recovery, and (6) large datasets. This proceedings paper presents actionable research targets based on the presentations and discussions that occurred at the conference. We summarize the background, main research gaps, overall goals, the panel discussion of the approach, limitations and challenges, and deliverables that were identified.

Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 in Central Nervous System Injury: An Updated Review.

Sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) is a member of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) protein superfamily, encoded by Abcc8, and is recognized as a key mediator of central nervous system (CNS) cellular swelling via the transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) channel. Discovered approximately 20 years ago, this channel is normally absent in the CNS but is transcriptionally upregulated after CNS injury. A comprehensive review on the pathophysiology and role of SUR1 in the CNS was published in 2012. Since then, the breadth and depth of understanding of the involvement of this channel in secondary injury has undergone exponential growth: SUR1-TRPM4 inhibition has been shown to decrease cerebral edema and hemorrhage progression in multiple preclinical models as well as in early clinical studies across a range of CNS diseases including ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest, subarachnoid hemorrhage, spinal cord injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, neuromalignancies, pain, liver failure, status epilepticus, retinopathies and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder. Given these substantial developments, combined with the timeliness of ongoing clinical trials of SUR1 inhibition, now, another decade later, we review advances pertaining to SUR1-TRPM4 pathobiology in this spectrum of CNS disease-providing an overview of the journey from patch-clamp experiments to phase III trials.

Minimally invasive surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is common, associated with a high degree of mortality and long-term functional impairment, and remains without effective proven treatments. Surgical hematoma evacuation can reduce mass effect and decrease cytotoxic effects from blood product breakdown. However, results from large clinical trials that have examined the role of open craniotomy have not demonstrated a significant outcome benefit over medical management. We review the data on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) that is emerging as a treatment modality for spontaneous ICH. RECENT FINDINGS: The use of MIS for supratentorial ICH has increased significantly in recent years and appears to be associated with decreased mortality and improved functional outcome compared with medical management. The role of MIS for posterior fossa ICH is ill-defined. Currently available MIS devices allow for stereotactic aspiration and thrombolysis, endoport-mediated evacuation, and endoscopic aspiration. Clinical series demonstrate that MIS can facilitate significant hematoma volume reduction and may be associated with less morbidity than conventional open surgical approaches. SUMMARY: MIS is an appealing treatment modality for supratentorial ICH and with careful patient selection and technologic advances has the potential to improve neurologic outcomes and reduce mortality. Early and extensive hematoma evacuation are important therapeutic targets and current studies are underway that have the potential to change the management for ICH patients.

Worldwide Organization of Neurocritical Care: Results from the PRINCE Study Part 1.

INTRODUCTION: Neurocritical care focuses on the care of critically ill patients with an acute neurologic disorder and has grown significantly in the past few years. However, there is a lack of data that describe the scope of practice of neurointensivists and epidemiological data on the types of patients and treatments used in neurocritical care units worldwide. To address these issues, we designed a multicenter, international, point-prevalence, cross-sectional, prospective, observational, non-interventional study in the setting of neurocritical care (PRINCE Study). METHODS: In this manuscript, we analyzed data from the initial phase of the study that included registration, hospital, and intensive care unit (ICU) organizations. We present here descriptive statistics to summarize data from the registration case report form. We performed the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Dunn procedure to test for differences in practices among world regions. RESULTS: We analyzed information submitted by 257 participating sites from 47 countries. The majority of those sites, 119 (46.3%), were in North America, 44 (17.2%) in Europe, 34 (13.3%) in Asia, 9 (3.5%) in the Middle East, 34 (13.3%) in Latin America, and 14 (5.5%) in Oceania. Most ICUs are from academic institutions (73.4%) located in large urban centers (44% > 1 million inhabitants). We found significant differences in hospital and ICU organization, resource allocation, and use of patient management protocols. The highest nursing/patient ratio was in Oceania (100% 1:1). Dedicated Advanced Practiced Providers are mostly present in North America (73.7%) and are uncommon in Oceania (7.7%) and the Middle East (0%). The presence of dedicated respiratory therapist is common in North America (85%), Middle East (85%), and Latin America (84%) but less common in Europe (26%) and Oceania (7.7%). The presence of dedicated pharmacist is highest in North America (89%) and Oceania (85%) and least common in Latin America (38%). The majority of respondents reported having a dedicated neuro-ICU (67% overall; highest in North America: 82%; and lowest in Oceania: 14%). CONCLUSION: The PRINCE Study results suggest that there is significant variability in the delivery of neurocritical care. The study also shows it is feasible to undertake international collaborations to gather global data about the practice of neurocritical care.

Global Survey of Outcomes of Neurocritical Care Patients: Analysis of the PRINCE Study Part 2.

BACKGROUND: Neurocritical care is devoted to the care of critically ill patients with acute neurological or neurosurgical emergencies. There is limited information regarding epidemiological data, disease characteristics, variability of clinical care, and in-hospital mortality of neurocritically ill patients worldwide. We addressed these issues in the Point PRevalence In Neurocritical CarE (PRINCE) study, a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. METHODS: We recruited patients from various intensive care units (ICUs) admitted on a pre-specified date, and the investigators recorded specific clinical care activities they performed on the subjects during their first 7 days of admission or discharge (whichever came first) from their ICUs and at hospital discharge. In this manuscript, we analyzed the final data set of the study that included patient admission characteristics, disease type and severity, ICU resources, ICU and hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. We present descriptive statistics to summarize data from the case report form. We tested differences between geographically grouped data using parametric and nonparametric testing as appropriate. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to evaluate factors associated with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 1545 patients admitted to 147 participating sites from 31 countries of which most were from North America (69%, N = 1063). Globally, there was variability in patient characteristics, admission diagnosis, ICU treatment team and resource allocation, and in-hospital mortality. Seventy-three percent of the participating centers were academic, and the most common admitting diagnosis was subarachnoid hemorrhage (13%). The majority of patients were male (59%), a half of whom had at least two comorbidities, and median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality included age (OR 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.04); lower GCS (OR 1.20; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.16 for every point reduction in GCS); pupillary reactivity (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.09 to 3.23 for bilateral unreactive pupils); admission source (emergency room versus direct admission [OR 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.75]; admission from a general ward versus direct admission [OR 5.85; 95% CI, 2.75 to 12.45; and admission from another ICU versus direct admission [OR 3.34; 95% CI, 1.27 to 8.8]); and the absence of a dedicated neurocritical care unit (NCCU) (OR 1.7; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.47). CONCLUSION: PRINCE is the first study to evaluate care patterns of neurocritical patients worldwide. The data suggest that there is a wide variability in clinical care resources and patient characteristics. Neurological severity of illness and the absence of a dedicated NCCU are independent predictors of in-patient mortality.

The Magnitude of Blood Pressure Reduction Predicts Poor In-Hospital Outcome in Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Early systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction is believed to improve outcome after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but there has been a limited assessment of SBP trajectories in individual patients. We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of SBP trajectories in ICH. METHODS: We collected routine data on spontaneous ICH patients from two healthcare systems over 10 years. Unsupervised functional principal components analysis (FPCA) was used to characterize SBP trajectories over first 24 h and their relationship to the primary outcome of unfavorable shift on modified Rankin scale (mRS) at hospital discharge, categorized as an ordinal trichotomous variable (mRS 0-2, 3-4, and 5-6 defined as good, poor, and severe, respectively). Ordinal logistic regression models adjusted for baseline SBP and ICH volume were used to determine the prognostic significance of SBP trajectories. RESULTS: The 757 patients included in the study were 65 ± 23 years old, 56% were men, with a median (IQR) Glasgow come scale of 14 (8). FPCA revealed that mean SBP over 24 h and SBP reduction within the first 6 h accounted for 76.8% of the variation in SBP trajectories. An increase in SBP reduction (per 10 mmHg) was significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes defined as mRS > 2 (adjusted-OR = 1.134; 95% CI 1.044-1.233, P = 0.003). Compared with SBP reduction < 20 mmHg, worse outcomes were observed for SBP reduction = 40-60 mmHg (adjusted-OR = 1.940, 95% CI 1.129-3.353, P = 0.017) and > 60 mmHg, (adjusted-OR = 1.965, 95% CI 1.011, 3.846, P = 0.047). Furthermore, the association of SBP reduction and outcome varied according to initial hematoma volume. Smaller SBP reduction was associated with good outcome (mRS 0-2) in small (< 7.42 mL) and medium-size (≥ 7.42 and < 30.47 mL) hematomas. Furthermore, while the likelihood of good outcome was low in those with large hematomas (≥ 30.47 mL), smaller SBP reduction was associated with decreasing probability of severe outcome (mRS 5-6). CONCLUSION: Our analyses suggest that in the first 6 h SBP reduction is significantly associated with the in-hospital outcome that varies with initial hematoma volume, and early SBP reduction > 40 mmHg may be harmful in ICH patients. For early SBP reduction to have an effective therapeutic effect, both target levels and optimum SBP reduction goals vis-à-vis hematoma volume should be considered.

The Curing Coma Campaign: Framing Initial Scientific Challenges-Proceedings of the First Curing Coma Campaign Scientific Advisory Council Meeting.

Coma and disordered consciousness are common manifestations of acute neurological conditions and are among the most pervasive and challenging aspects of treatment in neurocritical care. Gaps exist in patient assessment, outcome prognostication, and treatment directed specifically at improving consciousness and cognitive recovery. In 2019, the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS) launched the Curing Coma Campaign in order to address the "grand challenge" of improving the management of patients with coma and decreased consciousness. One of the first steps was to bring together a Scientific Advisory Council including coma scientists, neurointensivists, neurorehabilitationists, and implementation experts in order to address the current scientific landscape and begin to develop a framework on how to move forward. This manuscript describes the proceedings of the first Curing Coma Campaign Scientific Advisory Council meeting which occurred in conjunction with the NCS Annual Meeting in October 2019 in Vancouver. Specifically, three major pillars were identified which should be considered: endotyping of coma and disorders of consciousness, biomarkers, and proof-of-concept clinical trials. Each is summarized with regard to current approach, benefits to the patient, family, and clinicians, and next steps. Integration of these three pillars will be essential to the success of the Curing Coma Campaign as will expanding the "curing coma community" to ensure broad participation of clinicians, scientists, and patient advocates with the goal of identifying and implementing treatments to fundamentally improve the outcome of patients.

Role of Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 and Glibenclamide in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of the Evidence.

Cerebral edema and contusion expansion are major determinants of morbidity and mortality after TBI. Current treatment options are reactive, suboptimal and associated with significant side effects. First discovered in models of focal cerebral ischemia, there is increasing evidence that the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1)-Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) channel plays a key role in these critical secondary injury processes after TBI. Targeted SUR1-TRPM4 channel inhibition with glibenclamide has been shown to reduce edema and progression of hemorrhage, particularly in preclinical models of contusional TBI. Results from small clinical trials evaluating glibenclamide in TBI have been encouraging. A Phase-2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of intravenous glibenclamide (BIIB093) in brain contusion is actively enrolling subjects. In this comprehensive narrative review, we summarize the molecular basis of SUR1-TRPM4 related pathology and discuss TBI-specific expression patterns, biomarker potential, genetic variation, preclinical experiments, and clinical studies evaluating the utility of treatment with glibenclamide in this disease.

Blood Pressure Variability Predicts Poor In-Hospital Outcome in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background and Purpose- There is increasing evidence that higher systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) may be associated with poor outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We explored the association between SBPV and in-hospital ICH outcome. Methods- We collected 10-years of consecutive data of spontaneous ICH patients at 2 healthcare systems. Demographics, medical history, laboratory tests, computed tomography scan data, in-hospital treatments, and neurological and functional assessments were recorded. Blood pressure recordings were extracted up to 24 hours postadmission. SBPV was measured using SD, coefficient of variation, successive variation (SV), range and 1 novel index termed functional SV. The effects of SBPV on the functional outcome at discharge were evaluated by multivariate logistic and ordinal regression analyses for dichotomous and trichotomous modified Rankin Scale categorizations, respectively. In secondary analyses, associations between SBPV, history of hypertension, and hematoma expansion were explored. Results- The analysis included 762 subjects. All 5 SBPV indices were significantly associated with the probability of unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 4-6) in logistic models. In ordinal models, SD, coefficient of variation, range, and functional SV were found to have a significant effect on the probabilities of poor (modified Rankin Scale score, 3-4) and severe/death (modified Rankin Scale score, 5-6) outcomes. Normotensive patients had significantly lower mean SBPV compared with the untreated-hypertension cohort for all SBPV indices and compared with treated-hypertension patients for 3 out of 5 SBPV indices. Lower mean SBPV of treated-hypertension subjects compared with untreated-hypertension subjects was only detected in the SV and functional SV indices (P=0.045). None of the SBPV indices were significantly associated with the probability of hematoma expansion. Conclusions- Higher SBPV in the first 24 hours of admission was associated with unfavorable in-hospital outcome among ICH patients. Further prospective studies are warranted to understand any cause-effect relationship and whether controlling for SBPV may improve the ICH outcome.

Characterizing the Response to Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage in Patients with an External Ventricular Drain: The Pressure Equalization Ratio.

BACKGROUND: An external ventricular drain (EVD) is the gold standard for measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP) and allows for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Different causes of elevated ICP, such as CSF outflow obstruction or cerebral swelling, respond differently to CSF drainage. This is a widely recognized but seldom quantified distinction. We sought to define an index to characterize the response to CSF drainage in neurocritical care patients. METHODS: We studied consecutive patients admitted to the neurointensive care unit who had an EVD. The EVD was closed for 30 min prior to assessment. We documented pre-drainage ICP, opened EVD to drainage allowing CSF to drain until it ceased, and recorded post-drainage ICP at EVD closure. We calculated the pressure equalization (PE) ratio as the difference between pre-drainage ICP and post-drainage ICP divided by the difference between pre-drainage ICP and EVD height. RESULTS: We studied 60 patients (36 traumatic brain injury [TBI], 24 non-TBI). As expected, TBI patients had more signs of cerebral swelling on CT and smaller ventricles. Although TBI patients had significantly higher pre-drainage ICP (26 ± 10 mm Hg) than non-TBI patients (19 ± 5 mm Hg, p < 0.001) they drained less CSF (7 cc vs. 4 cc, p < 0.01). PE ratio was substantially higher in non-TBI than in TBI patients (0.86 ± 0.36 vs. 0.43 ± 0.31, p < 0.0001), indicating that non-TBI patients were better able to equalize pressure with EVD height than TBI patients. CONCLUSIONS: PE ratio reflects the ability to equalize pressure with the preset height of the EVD and differs substantially between TBI and non-TBI patients. A high PE ratio likely indicates CSF outflow obstruction effectively treated by CSF diversion, while a lower PE ratio occurs when cerebral swelling predominates. Further studies could assess whether the PE ratio would be useful as a surrogate marker for cerebral edema or the state of intracranial compliance.