Emergency management of intracerebral hemorrhage

Acute intracerebral hemorrhage is a medical emergency with high mortality and morbidity. Neuroimaging has a fundamental role in the etiological diagnosis, patients monitoring and in the risk stratification of hematoma expansion and poor outcome. The cornerstones of medical treatment in the acute phase are blood pressure lowering and coagulopathy reversal. Prevention of hematoma expansion is the main goal of these therapies and their efficacy is strongly time-dependent with a narrow time window.This review provides an update on the etiological diagnostic workup, acute treatment and prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Automated summary

Acute intracerebral hemorrhage is a serious medical emergency with high mortality and morbidity rates. Neuroimaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing the cause, monitoring patients, and assessing the risk of hematoma expansion and poor outcomes. Lowering blood pressure and reversing coagulopathy are the mainstays of medical treatment during the acute phase, with the goal of preventing hematoma expansion. The efficacy of these therapies is time-dependent and has a narrow time window. This review provides an update on the etiological diagnostic workup, acute treatment, and prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage.