Safety and Feasibility of Recombinant Factor VIIa for Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Abstract
Background and Purpose— Hematoma growth occurs in 38% of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients scanned by computed tomography (CT) within 3 hours of onset. Activated recombinant factor VII (rFVIIa) promotes hemostasis at sites of vascular injury and may minimize hematoma growth after ICH. Methods— In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial, 48 subjects with ICH diagnosed within 3 hours of onset were treated with placebo (n=12) or rFVIIa (10, 20, 40, 80, 120, or 160 μg/kg; n=6 per group). The primary endpoint was the frequency of adverse events (AEs). Safety assessments included serial electrocardiography (ECG), troponin I and coagulation testing, lower extremity Doppler ultrasonography, and calculation of edema:ICH volume ratios. Results— Mean age was 61 years (range, 30 to 93) and 57% were male. At admission, mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 14 (range, 1 to 26), median Glasgow Coma Scale score was 14 (range, 6 to 15), and mean ICH volume...