Cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH):

Cerebral vasospasm and the delayed cerebral ischemia remain a source of substantial morbidity and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Hemodynamic manipulation better known as ‘triple H’ therapy is routinely used in the management of patients with acute vasospasmfollowing SAH. The rationale of inducing hypertension, hypervolemia and hemodilution is to improve blood flow to the injured brain and to prevent secondary ischemia. While the Ca2+ antagonist Nimodipine is still the only drug with proven benefit on neurologic outcome following SAH, several alternatives are under research. Tirilazad is not effective, and studies of hemodynamic maneuvers, magnesium, statin medications, endothelin antagonists, steroid drugs, anticoagulant/antiplatelet agents, and intrathecal fibrinolytic drugs have yielded inconclusive and controversial results. Steroids drugs and anticoagulant/antiplatelet agents have been abandoned so far, because of the lack of efficacy. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a systematic review of the existing literature on the treatment of cerebral vasospasm.

Current Controversies in the Prediction, Diagnosis, and Management of Cerebral Vasospasm: Where Do We Stand?

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs in approximately 30,000 persons in the United States each year. Around 30 percent of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage suffer from cerebral ischemia and infarction due to cerebral vasospasm, a leading cause of treatable death and disability following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods used to predict, diagnose, and manage vasospasm are the topic of recent active research. This paper utilizes a comprehensive review of the recent literature to address controversies surrounding these topics. Evidence regarding the effect of age, smoking, and cocaine use on the incidence and outcome of vasospasm is reviewed. The abilities of different computed tomography grading schemes to predict vasospasm in the aftermath of subarachnoid hemorrhage are presented. Additionally, the utility of different diagnostic methods for the detection and visualization of vasospasm, including transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, CT angiography, digital subtraction angiography, and CT perfusion imaging is discussed. Finally, the recent literature regarding interventions for the prophylaxis and treatment of vasospasm, including hyperdynamic therapy, albumin, calcium channel agonists, statins, magnesium sulfate, and endothelin antagonists is summarized. Recent studies regarding each topic were reviewed for consensus recommendations from the literature, which were then presented.