The effect of activated factor VII for intracerebral hemorrhage beyond 3 hours versus within 3 hours

Recombinant-activated factor VII (rFVIIa) is an investigational treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We have evaluated the drug's treatment effect based on time to treatment.

ICH patients treated up to 4 hours from symptom onset were divided based on time to treatment:

Forty-six patients were treated with rFVIIa: 24 in the 3H group (range 70 to 180 minutes), 22 in the 4H group (range 181 to 300). One hundred and forty-eight patients formed the control group. Mean baseline ICH volume was 8.8 mL for 3H and 10.1 mL for 4H. Mean 24-hour volume was 9.3 mL for 3H (absolute increase 1.05 mL, relative increase 11.9%) and 11.5 mL for 4H (absolute increase 1.1 mL, relative increase 10.9%); P=0.47 is for the difference in relative increase. Mortality was 12.5% for 3H group, 13.6% for 4H, and 13.1% for the control. In the 3H group, 58.3% were discharged with a poor outcome, compared with 54.5% in 4H and 54.1% in the control. Thrombotic adverse events occurred in 11.1% of patients treated with rFVIIa.

In our off-label with rFVIIa, we did not find evidence of a treatment effect based on time to treatment. Other criteria should be sought to identify patients who might benefit clinically from rFVIIa.