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Evidence summaries

Corticosteroids for Subarachnoid or Intracerebral Haemorrhage

There is no evidence of a beneficial or adverse effect of corticosteroids in patients with either subarachnoid haemorrhage or primary intracerebral haemorrhage. Level of evidence: "D"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included three subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) trials (256 patients) and five primary intracerebral haemorrhage (PICH) trials (206 patients).

The studies differed substantially with regard to the study populations and drugs, and methodological quality. The number of patients allocated to either hydrocortisone or fludrocortisone acetate treatment in patients with SAH, or to dexamethasone treatment in patients with PICH, was too small to make any definitive conclusions (confidence intervals were wide for any of the outcome estimates).

References

  • Feigin VL, Anderson N, Rinkel GJ, Algra A, van Gijn J, Bennett DA. Corticosteroids for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage and primary intracerebral haemorrhage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005 Jul 20;(3):CD004583. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords