title: The outcome of surgery of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
abstract: Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage is a challenging pathology which remains a cause of considerable mortality and morbidity. To demonstrate to general practitioners the results of surgery for this condition a retrospective study of 160 consecutive cases who had undergone aneurysmal surgery was carried out. On admission 57% of cases had a good Hunt and Hess grade (grades I and II) and 43% a poor grade (grades III, IV and V). Twelve per cent of cases had a pre-existing hypertension and 73% of cases were treated with nimodipine. Angiography was performed from 0 to 73 days (median 3 days) after the bleed. Early surgery (within the first three days after the bleed) was performed in 41% of cases. Twenty-two per cent of cases rebled before surgery from 1 to 69 days after initial presentation (median seven days). Delayed cerebral ischaemia was diagnosed in 38% of cases, but only 15% of cases had evidence of low density on the CT scan. The outcome was determined at six months using the 'Glasgow outcome scale'. Fifty-five per cent of cases made a good recovery (back to normality), 15% a fair recovery (moderately disabled but independent), 15% a poor recovery (severely disabled and dependent), and 15% died. The significant poor prognostic factors were: a poor pre-operative Hunt and Hess grade, the presence of an intracerebral haematoma or angiographic spasm, evidence of rebleeding and early surgery without treatment with nimodipine. Other factors which did not reach a statistical significance include: age, presence of subarachnoid and intraventricular blood on CT, timing of surgery, history of long-standing hypertension, intraoperative rupture, and the development of hydrocephalus or delayed ischaemia.
authors.affiliation: King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jamjoom
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Jamjoom
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stranjalis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torrens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*