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Sub-Category:

Hemorrhagic Conditions

Number of Conditions: 1

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Neurological Emergencies

Sub-category: Hemorrhagic Conditions

Symptoms:
sudden severe headache (thunderclap headache); neck stiffness; nausea and vomiting; altered consciousness; seizures; focal neurological deficits

Root Cause:
Bleeding into the subarachnoid space, often caused by ruptured cerebral aneurysm or head trauma.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
CT scan (non-contrast), lumbar puncture (if CT is negative but SAH is suspected), cerebral angiography.

Treatment:
Stabilization (airway, breathing, circulation), blood pressure control, neurosurgical intervention (clipping or coiling of aneurysm).

Medications:
Nimodipine (calcium channel blocker to prevent vasospasm), antihypertensives (e.g., labetalol ), antiepileptics for seizure prevention.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
6–9 cases per 100,000 annually worldwide.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Hypertension, smoking, family history of aneurysms, polycystic kidney disease, cocaine use.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High mortality; 50% die within 30 days; survivors may have significant neurological deficits.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Rebleeding, vasospasm, hydrocephalus, cerebral infarction, long-term cognitive impairment.