Relation between Perioperative Hypertension and Intracranial Hemorrhage after Craniotomy

Background: Previous data suggest that systemic hypertension (HTN) is a risk factor for postcraniotomy intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The authors examined the relation between perioperative blood pressure elevation and postoperative ICH using a retrospective case control design.

Methods: The hospital's database of all patients undergoing craniotomy from 1976 to 1992 was screened. Coagulopathic and unmatchable patients were excluded. There were 69 evaluable patients who developed ICH postoperatively (n = 69). A 2-to-1 matched (by age, date of surgery, pathologic diagnosis, surgical procedure, and surgeon) control group without postoperative ICH was assembled (n = 138). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative blood pressure records (up to 12 h) were examined. Incidence of perioperative HTN (blood pressure >= 160/90 mmHg) and odds ratios for ICH were determined.

Results: Of the 11,214 craniotomy patients, 86 (0.77%) suffered ICH, and 69 fulfilled inclusion criteria. The incidence of preoperative HTN was similar in the ICH (34%) and the control (24%) groups. ICH occurred 21 h (median) postoperatively, with an interquartile range of 4-52 h. Sixty-two percent of ICH patients had intraoperative HTN, compared with only 34% of controls (P < 0.001). Sixty-two percent of the ICH patients had prehemorrhage HTN in the initial 12 postoperative hours versus 25% of controls (P < 0.001), with an odds ratio of 4.6 (P < 0.001) for postoperative ICH. Hospital stay (median, 24.5 vs. 11.0 days), and mortality (18.2 vs. 1.6%) were significantly greater in the ICH than in the control groups.