Should ice-bag be applied to the head of a hypertensive patient with cerebral hemorrhage?

ABSTRACT

1. The blood pressure reaction to cold stimulus applied to the head was studied in 15 cases hypertension2. In practically all these cases, this cold application caused quite sudden though transitory elevation of the systemic blood pressure, both the systolic and the diastolic3. This cold application also caused no symptoms in 1 case, slight headache in 7 cases, moderate headache in 4 cases, and severe headache in 3 cases. The higher the rise in the blood pressure, the more severe is the headache4. Viewed in the light of these results, the application of ice-bag to the head of a hypertensive patient with cerebral hemorrhage was critically appraised. In this appraisal, it was concluded that this therapeutic measure is unnecessary, unphysiological, and perhaps dangerous.(Summary and Conclusion)