ACUTE SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE

Course overview

SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGES ARE TRUE EMERGENCIES THAT DEMAND PROMPT TREATMENT. SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGES RESULT FROM A MEDICAL ANEURYSMAL RUPTURE OR TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURY, RESULTING IN BLEEDING IN THE SUBARACHNOID SPACE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE ARACHNOID MEMBRANE AND THE PIA MATER THAT SURROUNDS THE BRAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGES ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH POOR OUTCOMES. NEARLY HALF OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH A SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE CAUSED BY AN UNDERLYING ANEURYSM DIE WITHIN 30 DAYS AND A THIRD OF THOSE WHO SURVIVE HAVE COMPLICATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OF SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMS IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGES.