Effects of an intravenous injection of nicardipine on cerebral blood flow in subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by intracranial aneurysm

: Fifteen patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm have been operated before undergoing post surgery xenon inhalation for cerebral blood flow valuation: first measurement has been performed as CBF reference; 2nd measurement has been done after 0.1 mg.kg-1 I.V. bolus of nicardipine; sides effects are mainly due to BP fall 2/15 and some consequent neurological distress have been noticed (2/15); results should be carefully interpreted. Significant CBF increase have been measured after nicardipine injection, specially in brain area correlated to low CBF before injection (the lower the CBF, the higher the increase of local flow). The study prompt us to check the effect of nicardipine on patient (with CBF measurement after nicardipine test) before giving the treatment. Problems remain to be solved with further studies and not yet established: correlation between hemodynamics changes and clinical status and also which time of disease evolution is the best to be treated.