• Koen de Gans, Rob J de Haan, Charles B Majoie, Maria M Koopman, Anneke Brand, Marcel G Dijkgraaf, Marinus Vermeulen, Yvo B Roos, and PATCH Investigators.
• Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Centre, H2-222, PO-box 22660 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. k.degans@amc.uva.nl
• Bmc Neurol. 2010 Jan 1;10:19.

BackgroundPatients suffering from intracerebral haemorrhage have a poor prognosis, especially if they are using antiplatelet therapy. Currently, no effective acute treatment option for intracerebral haemorrhage exists. Limiting the early growth of intracerebral haemorrhage volume which continues the first hours after admission seems a promising strategy. Because intracerebral haemorrhage patients who are on antiplatelet therapy have been shown to be particularly at risk of early haematoma growth, platelet transfusion may have a beneficial effect.Methods/DesignThe primary objective is to investigate whether platelet transfusion improves outcome in intracerebral haemorrhage patients who are on antiplatelet treatment. The PATCH study is a prospective, randomised, multi-centre study with open treatment and blind endpoint evaluation. Patients will be randomised to receive platelet transfusion within six hours or standard care. The primary endpoint is functional health after three months. The main secondary endpoints are safety of platelet transfusion and the occurrence of haematoma growth. To detect an absolute poor outcome reduction of 20%, a total of 190 patients will be included.DiscussionTo our knowledge this is the first randomised controlled trial of platelet transfusion for an acute haemorrhagic disease.

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