UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Neurology

Title: Intracranial Hemorrhage Expansion

Keywords: intracranial hemorrhage, ich, intracranial hemorrhage expansion (PubMed Search)

Posted: 4/17/2008 by Aisha Liferidge, MD (Updated: 4/27/2024)
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  • Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) can expand for the first 24 hours after onset.
  • Peak ICH expansion occurs at 6 hours.
  • REMEMBER:  The heads of patients with ICH should be elevated (~30 degrees) for at least 24 hours after the onset of bleeding to decrease the extent of expansion.  This is a simple, but too often neglected, clinical measure that potentially offers great benefit to the patient.