Intracerebral hemorrhage during treatment with oral anticoagulants. Risk factors, therapy and prognosis.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during oral anticoagulation is a serious complication, which is mostly fatal for the multimorbid patient. In the present retrospective study of 53 patients with ICH during treatment with a cumarin derivative (Phenoprocoumon, Marcumar), we investigated the relationship between therapy and preexisting parameters such as age, location, level of consciousness, additional bleeding risks, and the degree of anticoagulation, which were assumed to be of prognostic relevance. The therapeutic management of ICH during treatment with anticoagulants was determined predominantly by location of the hematoma, patient's age, and additional bleeding risks, but less by level of consciousness and initial thromboplastin time (Quick's test). As a consequence of the individual analysis of these 5 parameters, age over 60 years, location of hematoma in the midline or ventricles, coma, additional bleeding risks such as arterial hypertension and trauma, and Quick's test below 15% at the time of bleeding were supposed to be responsible for poor prognosis. Mortality increased with a rising number of poor prognostic factors, independently of surgical or conservative treatment. In consequence, prognosis of ICH during oral anticoagulation is predominantly influenced by the number of such disadvantageous indicators and only little by therapy.