Complications
Motor weakness with lack of mobility causes venous stasis in the lower limbs, resulting in deep venous thrombosis.
When anticoagulation is contraindicated, placement of an inferior vena cava filter will reduce the risk of pulmonary embolism.[9]
Preventable infections include aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and cellulitis from infected pressure ulcers.
Seizures may complicate up to 28% of intracerebral hemorrhages and may develop into epilepsy.[68] Most of these seizures occur within the first 24 hours of the hemorrhage.[9]
The risk is higher with cortical bleeds.
Anticonvulsants should be used to treat clinical seizures and patients with a change of mental status who are found to have electrographic seizures on electroencephalogram.[9]
At least half of all stroke survivors experience fatigue.[175] Poststroke fatigue affects quality of life and exerts a negative impact on a patient's daily activities, such as decreased participation in physical activities and rehabilitation.[175] People with stroke should be assessed and periodically reviewed for poststroke fatigue, including for factors that might precipitate or exacerbate fatigue (e.g., depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, pain) and these factors should be addressed accordingly. Appropriate time points for review are at discharge from hospital and then at regular intervals, including at 6 months and annually thereafter.[32]
A period of delirium is common following intracerebral hemorrhage.
May be noncommunicating (due to cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] flow blockage) or communicating (due to impaired CSF resorption by arachnoid granulations). Either may complicate intracranial hemorrhage.
Placement of external ventricular drain is indicated acutely.[9]
Some patients may require conversion to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt if normal CSF flow is not re-established.
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