Comparison of Post-Craniotomy Blood Pressure Targets

Over 160,000 craniotomies, a type of brain surgery, are performed annually in the United States. High blood pressure is believed to increase the risk of post-operative bleeding in the brain, known as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). This perceived risk has led many doctors to impose post-operative systolic blood pressure (SBP) limits, with aggressive treatment when SBP rises above the target thresholds. The use of intensive SBP goals often requires antihypertensive medication treatment, occasionally including intravenous (IV) drips. These medical therapies could have several adverse effects related to end-organ function. Additionally, close SBP monitoring with an arterial line and/or treatment with IV antihypertensives often requires intensive care unit (ICU) level of care. 40% of academic medical programs use a goal of SBP\<160mmHg as supported by this limited evidence, while 45% of programs use an even more stringent SBP goal of \<140mmHg. This study is a single-center, pragmatic, randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of these two standard-of-care post-craniotomy SBP goals in reducing patient hospital length of stay, risk of ICH, and adverse side effects of antihypertensive use. Eligible patients will be randomized to receive an order for a target SBP \<140 mmHg or SBP \<160 mmHg during this period. We hypothesize that a target SBP \<160 mmHg will decrease patient hospital length of stay without increasing the risk of ICH.