BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to define general guidelines for rational clinical decision-making with respect to patients older than 80 years who present with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms and a Hunt and Hess clinical grade of III. METHODS: The 29 consecutive patients enrolled in this study were treated at 4 participating centers between 1995 and 1998. All were 80 years or older on admission and met 7 eligibility criteria. The decision to treat surgically or non-surgically was made individually at each center. The outcome at discharge was assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS); the Barthel Score (BS) was used to determine the patients' quality of life after discharge. RESULTS: Of 15 surgically treated patients, 4 died before discharge and 8 were discharged in poor condition. Of these, 7 died of unrelated causes within 2 years of the SAH and one is living in a nursing home. Three patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms made a good recovery; they are currently living at home. Of the 14 conservatively treated patients, 10 died during their hospital stay mainly because of rebleeding that occurred within 3 weeks of the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Three others who were discharged in poor condition died of systemic illness within 2 years. The remaining patient is living in a nursing home with a BS value of 0. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes for patients treated conservatively were catastrophic. Even in surgically treated patients, favorable outcomes were rare; the best results were achieved in surgically treated patients with MCA aneurysms.
BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to define general guidelines for rational clinical decision-making with respect to patients older than 80 years who present with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms and a Hunt and Hess clinical grade of III. METHODS: The 29 consecutive patients enrolled in this study were treated at 4 participating centers between 1995 and 1998. All were 80 years or older on admission and met 7 eligibility criteria. The decision to treat surgically or non-surgically was made individually at each center. The outcome at discharge was assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS); the Barthel Score (BS) was used to determine the patients' quality of life after discharge. RESULTS: Of 15 surgically treated patients, 4 died before discharge and 8 were discharged in poor condition. Of these, 7 died of unrelated causes within 2 years of the SAH and one is living in a nursing home. Three patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms made a good recovery; they are currently living at home. Of the 14 conservatively treated patients, 10 died during their hospital stay mainly because of rebleeding that occurred within 3 weeks of the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Three others who were discharged in poor condition died of systemic illness within 2 years. The remaining patient is living in a nursing home with a BS value of 0. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes for patients treated conservatively were catastrophic. Even in surgically treated patients, favorable outcomes were rare; the best results were achieved in surgically treated patients with MCA aneurysms.
Authors: Jacques Sedat; Mustapha Dib; David Rasendrarijao; Denys Fontaine; Michel Lonjon; Philippe Paquis Journal: Neurocrit Care Date: 2005 Impact factor: 3.210