Intracranial pressure monitoring in comatose patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) was measured continuously in ten consecutive comatose patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Eight hemorrhages were ganglionic, one was thalamic, and one was lobar. The ICP at the time of insertion of the monitoring device was below 20 mm Hg in four patients, 20 to 30 mm Hg in four, and above 30 mm Hg in two. Of the seven patients whose ICP remained above 20 mm Hg despite aggressive medical therapy, three had the clot removed surgically and all three survived, although one died of sepsis a month later. The remaining four patients with uncontrolled ICP all died of the syndrome of brain death. Of tht three patients whose ICP was persistently below 20 mm Hg, one survived and two subsequently died of sepsis after improving neurologically for the first week. Intracranial pressure monitoring did not cause any morbidity. Raised ICP is related to mortality in comatose patients with cerebral hemorrhage, and ICP monitoring may be useful in guiding therapy, especially the timing and selection of patients for surgery.