Anesthetic Isoflurane Could Protect Brain After Devastating Stroke

The anesthetic agent isoflurane could preserve brain structure and function after intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain, according to a study published in the Aug. 2011 issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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According to the report, experiments on mice suggest that low-dose isoflurane could provide a therapeutic option for acute treatment after ICH injury. The study was led by Nikan H. Khatibi, MD, of Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center.

According to the report, intracerebral hemorrhage is the most devastating form of stroke, occurring when a ruptured blood vessel causes bleeding in the brain. Approximately 50 percent of ICH patients die within a month, and survivors suffer from brain damage.

After ICH was induced in the brain, some animals were treated with low-dose isoflurane from one or two hours. Another group of animals received no treatment. Mice treated with isoflurane showed a significant reduction in the severity of ICH, including a reduction in brain swelling and brain cell death.

Read the current issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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