[Outcome of patients who underwent surgical repair of aneurysm after subarachnoid hemorrhage]

Abstract

Background: Follow-up study of patients with surgical repair of aneurysmal subarachnoidal hemorrhage (SAH), looking for clinical outcome predictors.

Patients and methods: Sixty two patients consecutively admitted to a teaching hospital, from January 1992 to December 1995 were included in the study. We studied preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative features looking for their relationship with the outcome. The ultimate outcome was evaluated by means of Glasgow Outcome Scale on discharge and 6 months later.

Results: Smoking (p = 0.0001) and arterial hypertension (AHT) (p = 0.0186) were more frequent in these patients than in general population, but without relationship to the outcome as with the age of the clinical status on admission. The greatest statistical relationship was found between the level of consciousness on postoperative awakening (measured by the Hunt and Hess scale), and the outcome (p = 2.53 x 10(-8). From our results we made an algorithm that correctly assigned 92% of studied patients to their outcome.

Conclusions: All patients admitted on with aneurysm SAH deserve intensive care treatment besides their clinical grade. The level of consciousness on postoperative awakening was a good outcome predictor.