Warning signs and symptoms of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess the warning signs and symptoms in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

METHODS

Patients admitted with spontaneous SAH were enrolled in the study and were asked for their history of frequent warning signs and symptoms as cited in other studies.

RESULTS

Overall, 28 cases of spontaneous SAH were identified during the study period. A history of headache as the most frequent warning symptom was present in 64.3% of the cases. Transient loss of consciousness (42.8%), difficulty in walking (21.4%), hemiparesis (14.2%), ocular signs (14.2%) and seizure (3.6%) were the next most frequent symptoms. Hypertension and smoking, the most frequent risk factors for SAH, were found in 39.3 and 32.1% of the cases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Despite recent advances in neurosurgical techniques, the overall outcome after aneurysmal SAH remains poor. Sudden, severe onset of headache with or without neurologic deficits is an important warning symptom for spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further reduction of the possible risk factors and earlier diagnosis on the basis of warning symptoms and treatments are desirable.