Hemorrhagic Stroke

Excerpt

Cerebrovascular accident, otherwise called a stroke, is the second leading cause of death worldwide and 1 of the major causes of long-term disability. Stroke can be either ischemic or hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is due to the loss of blood supply to an area of the brain and is the common type of stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke comprises approximately 10% to 15% of all strokes globally but carries the highest mortality.

Hemorrhagic stroke results from bleeding into brain tissue or the subarachnoid space, most commonly due to vascular rupture or anticoagulation-related coagulopathy. Hemorrhagic stroke may be further subdivided into intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). ICH is bleeding into the brain parenchyma, and SAH is bleeding into the subarachnoid space. Hemorrhagic stroke is associated with severe morbidity and high mortality. The progression of hemorrhagic stroke is associated with worse outcomes. Thirty-day mortality remains around 30% to 40%, and half of all deaths occur within the first 48 hours. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential, given the usual rapid expansion of hemorrhage, causing sudden deterioration of consciousness and neurological dysfunction.