Therapeutic Variation in Lowering Blood Pressure: Effects on Intracranial Pressure in Acute Intracerebral Haemorrhage

Introduction Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Blood pressure (BP) control is one of the main management strategies in acute ICH. Limited data currently exist regarding intracranial pressure (ICP) in acute ICH. The relationship between BP lowering and ICP is yet to be fully elucidated. Methods We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effects of BP lowering on ICP in acute ICH. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019134470). Results Following PRISMA guidelines, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched for studies on ICH with BP and ICP or surrogate measures. 1096 articles were identified after duplicates were removed; 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were the most common agent used to lower BP, but had a varying effect on ICP. Other BP-lowering agents used also had a varying effect on ICP. Discussion and Conclusion Further work, including large observational or randomized interventional studies, is needed to develop a better understanding of the effect of BP lowering on ICP in acute ICH, which will assist the development of more effective management strategies. Trial Registration The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019134470) on 29/05/2019.