Nursing priorities in caring for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Patients afflicted with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) experience potentially devastating neurological sequelae; current therapy for ICH remains supportive. However, hemostatic therapy with recombinant activated factor VIIa holds promise for decreasing the morbidity and mortality of patients following an ICH. Nurses who are the responsible clinicians at the bedside often find it challenging to care for these patients. This article discusses the priorities that nurses need to determine as they balance the overall needs of the patient, incorporating recombinant activated factor VIIa as a new treatment for ICH.