Corticosteroids for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage and primary intracerebral haemorrhage

There is no evidence of benefit from corticosteroids for patients with stroke due to bleeding. About one fifth of all strokes are due to bursting of an artery. The burst artery causes bleeding into the brain itself (called intracerebral haemorrhage) or into the space around the brain (called subarachnoid haemorrhage). After either type of bleed the brain tissue may become swollen. The swelling causes a rise in pressure which can cause further brain damage or even death. Corticosteroids could reduce swelling after brain haemorrhage and so improve the chances of the patient recovering. However, corticosteroids can also have important adverse effects such as increased blood sugars, infection, and gastrointestinal bleeding. The trials included in this review had too few participants to provide reliable evidence on any benefits weighed against harms of this treatment for patients with stroke due to bleeding in the brain.