Multicentre prospective, randomised open-label, endpoint-blinded study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of propranolol for the prevention of stroke-associated pneumonia in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage (PROCHASE): rationale and design.

Background: Stroke-induced transient immune suppression is believed to contribute to post-stroke infections. The β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol, has been shown to prevent stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) via reversing post-stroke immunosuppression in preclinical studies and in retrospective analysis in stroke patients. However, whether propranolol can reduce the risk of SAP has not been tested in prospective, randomised controlled trials.

Aim: To describe the rationale and design of a multicentre, prospective, open-label, endpoint-blinded, randomised controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of propranolol hydrochloride injection for the prevention of SAP in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) (PROCHASE).

Design: In this investigator-initiated trial, we compare the safety of the standard medical treatment to standard medical treatment plus intravenous propranolol hydrochloride administration (5 mg daily on days 1-7) in patients with ICH and the efficacy of this intervention to reduce the occurrence of SAP. All patients will be followed up for 90±7 days.

Study outcomes: The primary efficacy outcome is SAP within 7±1 days diagnosed by the defined algorithm based on a diagnosis of SAP recommendations from the pneumonia in stroke consensus group. The primary safety outcome is defined as severe or moderate bradycardia within 7±1 days. The secondary outcome is a modified Rankin score of 0-3 at 90±7 days after randomisation.

Discussion: The PROCHASE trial aims to generate clinical evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of propranolol in preventing SAP in patients with ICH.