The influence of hyperglycemia on neurological outcome in patients with primary spontaneous intracerebral hematoma related to hypertension

Objective: To study the relationship of hyperglycemia and hypertension with neurological outcome after spontaneous intracerebral hematoma. Method: We retrospectively studied 100 patients with primary spontaneous intracerebral hematoma related to arterial hypertension treated surgically for evacuation of the hematoma in the Neurosurgical Department of Santa Casa de Sao Paulo, between January 2000 and December 2004. The patients were separated in two groups based on their Glasgow Outcome Scale score. The favorable category included patients with Glasgow Outcome Scale scores 5 or 4, and the unfavorable outcome category included those with scores 1, 2 and 3. Results: Patients with unfavorable outcome had significantly higher levels of serum glucose and blood pressure, both at the admission and in the postoperative. The patients with favorable category were significantly younger, admitted with a Glasgow Coma Scale score significantly higher and had a longer hospitalization period. Conclusion: The hyperglycemia and hypertension, frequent components of the stress response to brain damage, are significant indicators of its severity, and reliable predictors of neurological outcome.