Neurosurg Focus
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Large intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), compounded by perihematomal edema, can produce severe elevations of intracranial pressure (ICP). Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) with or without clot evacuation has been considered a part of the armamentarium of treatment options for these patients. The authors sought to assess the preliminary utility of DHC without evacuation for ICH in patients with supratentorial, dominant-sided lesions. ⋯ Decompressive hemicraniectomy without clot evacuation appears feasible in patients with large ICH and deserves further investigation, preferably in a randomized controlled setting.
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Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is devastating, with high mortality rates, but its optimum management has not been fully established. Decompressive hemicraniectomy is a surgical procedure used to relieve the malignant elevation of intracranial pressure. ⋯ In this review, the present knowledge of the safety and efficacy of this procedure are evaluated. The authors conclude that decompressive hemicraniectomy with hematoma evacuation for large ICH might be a safe and effective procedure in patients with severely disturbed consciousness and large hematoma volume.
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Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most deadly and least treatable subtype of stroke, and at the present time there are no evidence-based therapeutic interventions for patients with this disease. Secondary injury mechanisms are known to cause substantial rates of morbidity and mortality following ICH, and the inflammatory cascade is a major contributor to this post-ICH secondary injury. The alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) agonists have a well-established antiinflammatory effect and have been shown to attenuate perihematomal edema volume and to improve functional outcome in experimental ICH. The authors evaluate the current evidence for the use of an α7-nAChR agonist as a novel therapeutic agent in patients with ICH.
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The authors evaluated the rates of ventriculostomy-related infections (VRIs) after antibiotic-coated extraventricular drains (ac-EVDs) were introduced as the standard of care. ⋯ Rates of VRIs have decreased with the addition of ac-EVDs to the routine use of prolonged systemic antibiotics at the authors' institution.
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The rates and risk factors for external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and long-term shunt dependence in patients with ruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have not been systematically studied. In this study the authors evaluated the rates of EVD placement and shunt dependence, and risk factors for them, in a cohort of patients with ruptured AVMs. ⋯ Hydrocephalus from AVM rupture was associated with initial GCS score, IVH, and AVM-associated aneurysms. Arteriovenous malformations with associated aneurysms thus not only have a greater risk of hemorrhage but also a greater risk of hemorrhage-associated morbidity as a result of hydrocephalus.