Nicardipine in the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a meta-analysis of published data.

Nicardipine is a dihydropyridine-type Ca(2+) channel blocker with a powerful antihypertensive activity and a unique cerebrovascular profile. Recent studies have examined nicardipine for the treatment of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), but have shown inconsistent results. In the current study, a meta-analysis was performed to assess the clinical effectiveness of nicardipine in the prevention of cerebral vasospasm in patients who had suffered from aneurysmal SAH.