BoardsBridge
Procedural / Technique
neuro
Must-have

Aneurysm Coiling — Anesthesia for Endovascular Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment

Peri-procedural anesthetic management of elective and ruptured aneurysm coiling: BP targets, heparin/protamine, intraprocedural rupture, VAE, and post-coiling vasospasm care.

Endovascular coiling of intracranial aneurysms requires tight BP control at or below baseline until the aneurysm is secured, full heparinization with ACT monitoring, immediate bedside access to protamine, mannitol, and nicardipine for intraprocedural rupture, and post-procedural nimodipine plus modified Triple H ONLY after the aneurysm is secured and vasospasm is confirmed.

If you forget

Headline — keep BP AT BASELINE until the aneurysm is coiled; permissive HTN is for AFTER it's secured and vasospasm is confirmed

Board trap
Junior starts modified Triple H therapy on a fresh aSAH before coiling — answer: NOT until the aneurysm is secured AND vasospasm is confirmed, otherwise you risk re-rupture (SNACC). Trap #2: for ruptured posterior circulation aneurysms, coiling is preferred over clipping to improve outcome (AHA 2023). Trap #3: for patients <40, clipping may be preferred for durability.

Key numbers

  • Protamine: 1 mg per 100 U heparin; less needed as time from heparin dose increases — titrate to ACT
  • Mannitol: 0.25–1 g/kg IV infused over 15 min (caution in CHF, severe renal disease with anuria)
  • Nicardipine infusion: 2.5–15 mg/h IV
  • IV nicardipine alternative: 0.075–0.15 mg/kg/h (≈5–10 mg/h for 70 kg)
  • Nimodipine: 60 mg PO q4h × 21 days
  • Typical ACT target during coiling: ~2–3× baseline (~250–300 s) — confirm with interventionalist
Reviewed Sep 24, 2026 for clinical accuracy by BoardsBridge Editorial Process

Uri Rozen, MD — Licensed Physician, Israel

Source guidelines: SNACC Neuroanesthetic Emergencies 2020 · SNACC Neuroanesthetic Emergencies 2020 · AHA SAH 2023 · AHA SAH 2023

Re-review cadence: 12 months from reviewed date.

Drill this as a SOE stem →

Related on BoardsBridge

Card ID: aneurysm-coiling · Path: aba.neuro.neurointerventional.aneurysm-coiling

Educational reference only. Reviewed for clinical accuracy against current authoritative guidelines. Not a substitute for clinical judgment. See editorial process and the sitemap entry for this card.