Acute intracerebral haemorrhage presenting with hypertensive emergency. Elevated blood pressure in this setting is common and carries serious consequences — it is directly associated with haematoma expansion, increased mortality, and poorer neurological recovery.
Immediate blood pressure lowering, initiated early after symptom onset, is the core intervention. The protocol defines both a recommended BP target range and important constraints on how rapidly and how far BP should be reduced — with specific guidance for patients who present with particularly high initial systolic readings.
In acute intracerebral haemorrhage, an increased BP is common and is associated with a greater risk of haematoma expansion and death, and a worse prognosis for neurological recovery.
In patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, immediate BP lowering (within 6 h of symptom onset) should be considered to a systolic target 140–160 mmHg to prevent haematoma expansion and improve functional outcome.
In patients with intracerebral haemorrhage presenting with systolic BP ≥220 mmHg, acute reduction in systolic BP >70 mmHg from initial levels within 1 h of commencing treatment is not recommended.
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae178
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