[Clinical experiences with nimodipine (Bay e 9736)].

In 27 patients, who suffered from SAH from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm direct operation and treatment with Nimodipine (Bay e 9736) was performed. Nimodipine was given intravenously over ten days (30 micrograms/kg bodyweight/hour) and thereafter orally over four days in diminishing dosages. There were no noteworth side effects. In comparison with a group of nine similar patients who were not given Nimodipine the study shows that Nimodipine is not able to reduce angiographic spasm or brain oedema in CT-scan. In spite of that the general recovery with Nimodipine was better than in the control group. The worse the initial neurological symptoms are, the more effective Nimodipine seems to be. The study shows that treatment should begin between the first and sixth day after SAH, at least two days before operation and at the latest two days after the onset of secondary spasm.