Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Intravenous Nicardipine Hydrochloride: Prospective Multi-Center Study

ABSTRACT

The authors performed a multicenter prospective study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intravenous nicardipine hydrochloride for acute hypertension in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study included 88 patients (mean age 58.3 yr, range 26-87 yr) with ICH and acute hypertension in 5 medical centers between August 2008 and November 2010, who were treated using intravenous nicardipine. Administration of nicardipine resulted in a decrease from mean systolic blood pressure (BP) (175.4 +/- 33.7 mmHg) and diastolic BP (100.8 +/- 22 mmHg) at admission to mean systolic BP (127.4 +/- 16.7 mmHg) and diastolic BP (67.2 +/- 12.9 mmHg) in 6 hr after infusion (P or = 2) was observed in 2 (2.2%) of 88 patients during the treatment. Aggressive nicardipine treatment of acute hypertension in patients with ICH can be safe and effective with a low rate of neurological deterioration and hematoma expansion.