Search

Subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is a neurosurgical emergency with a mortality rate of approximately 50%. Prompt identification and treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are paramount to reduce mortality, long-term morbidity, and health care burden for survivors. The prevalence of intracranial aneurysms is 2% to 6% of the global population, many of which are found incidentally during workup for an unrelated condition. Screening is not recommended for the general population and should be reserved for patients who have at least one family member with a history of intracranial aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage or when there is a high index of suspicion for those with certain medical conditions associated with an increased incidence of intracranial aneurysms. Physicians who treat patients with headache should be aware of the spectrum of clinical presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage because not all patients present with the classic thunderclap headache. The Ottawa Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Rule is a validated clinical decision tool to help determine which patients with a sudden, acute headache require imaging with noncontrast computed tomography. Based on the results of initial computed tomography and duration of symptoms, the patient may require a lumbar puncture or additional imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Prompt diagnosis of an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is essential to patients receiving definitive treatment. (Am Fam Physician. 2023; 108(4): 386–395. Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is a neurosurgical emergency with a mortality rate of approximately 50%. Prompt identification and treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are paramount to reduce mortality, long-term morbidity, and health care burden for survivors. The prevalence of intracranial aneurysms is 2% to 6% of the global population, many of which are found incidentally during workup for an unrelated condition. Screening is not recommended for the general population and should be reserved for patients who have at least one family member with a history of intracranial aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage or when there is a high index of suspicion for those with certain medical conditions associated with an increased incidence of intracranial aneurysms. Physicians who treat patients with headache should be aware of the spectrum of clinical presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage because not all patients present with the classic thunderclap headache. The Ottawa Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Rule is a validated clinical decision tool to help determine which patients with a sudden, acute headache require imaging with noncontrast computed tomography. Based on the results of initial computed tomography and duration of symptoms, the patient may require a lumbar puncture or additional imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Prompt diagnosis of an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is essential to patients receiving definitive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health issue posing significant morbidity and mortality to afflicted patients. While the effect of time to surgery as the primary factor for survival has been extensively studied, long-term dispositional outcomes following intracranial hemorrhage evacuation have not been well described in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elicit potential prognostic factors in patients presenting with severe TBI that may have a significant impact on discharge disposition., Methods: The authors searched the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) for patients included between 2010 and 2019, solely focusing on those with a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 8, signifying severe TBI, and with associated intracranial hemorrhage treated via surgical intervention. Numerous characteristics were analyzed, including demographics (age, sex, race, ethnicity, payment status), discharge disposition, time to surgery, pupillary response, midline shift (> 5 mm), and postoperative inpatient complications and comorbidities. Disposition included routine discharge to home, discharge to home with home health services (HHSs), discharge to acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR), discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF)/long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), and death., Results: The authors analyzed data on 7308 patients, 69.6% of whom were White and 11.2% of whom were Black. More young Black and Hispanic patients had severe TBI events than their matched elders, whereas more elderly White patients had severe TBI events than their matched younger counterparts. The most common disposition across all ages was SNF/LTACH. Septuagenarians and octogenarians were 12.1 and 21 times more likely, respectively, to die following a severe TBI than their younger counterparts (p < 0.001). Patients aged 18-29 were 1.7 times more likely to be discharged with HHSs (p < 0.001). Minority race/ethnicity groups were less likely to be discharged to AIR. As age increased, a patient's intensive care unit stay increased by 15 days (p < 0.001) and total hospital length of stay increased by 25 days (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Neurosurgical evacuation of intracranial hemorrhage in severe TBI has variable long-term morbidity. Utilizing the largest collection of trauma data within the United States, the authors present quantitative evidence on discharge disposition. Understanding these tangible points can help neurosurgeons present potential outcomes to patients, promote preventative care, and generate tangible conversations with patients and their family members.