Pharmacological Aspects of Intracerebral Spasm Secondary to Cerebral Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid bleed produced cerebral vascular spasm in rhesus monkeys. After a base-line study in each animal, two pharmacologic agents, procaine hydrochloride and lidocaine (Xylocaine), were injected in varying amounts and by different routes to determine if any technique was effective in reducing vasospasm. Circulation time was much shorter after intravenous lidocaine drip while cerebral vascular resistance decreased with only a slight drop in mean arterial pressure.