Nursing Faculty Publications

Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Potentially Lethal Neurological Disease

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2015

Journal Title

Journal of Emergency Nursing

ISSN

1527-2966

Volume

41

Issue

4

First Page

281

Last Page

284

DOI

10.1016/j.jen.2014.12.018

PubMed ID

25661693

Abstract

A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is characterized by bleeding that occurs between the arachnoid and pia mater meningeal layers of the brain. This type of hemorrhage accounts for about 5% of all strokes, and the majority occur as the result of a ruptured aneurysm. The incidence of the disease varies across gender, race, and geographical locations in the world, and it carries significant morbidity and mortality. A patient with an aneurysmal SAH can present to the emergency department with an array of neurological symptoms, and thus it is imperative for ED nurses to be able to quickly recognize the signs and symptoms and initiate stabilization and treatment. This article will review the epidemiology and risk factors of aneurysmal SAH, followed by an overview of pertinent neurological anatomy and the pathophysiology of this disease. A discussion of the interventions an ED nurse may expect to initiate prior to fixation of the aneurysm will be addressed as well.

Keywords

Emergency nursing, intracranial aneurysm, risk factors, subarachnoid hemorrhage

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