Rebleeding, ischaemia and hydrocephalus following anti-fibrinolytic treatment for ruptured cerebral aneurysms: a retrospective clinical study.

350 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage from aneurysmal rupture--admitted in the years 1966-1983--were selected for a retrospective controlled study on the efficacy of antifibrinolytic therapy (AFT). Patients treated with antifibrinolytics were divided into two groups, according to the day of hospital admission and onset of therapy, respectively between 0 and 3 days (SG 1) and between 4 and 7 days from SAH (SG 2); treated patients (260 cases) received i.v. tranexamic acid (6 gr/day) for at least two weeks. Patients admitted before 1974, not receiving antifibrinolytics (90 cases), were selected as controls and divided into two groups (CG 1 and CG 2), according to the day of admission. In the first study group (admission 0-3 days) the rebleeding rate within 2 weeks was 9% versus 23% in controls (p less than 0.01). The incidence of rebleeding within 3 and 4 weeks was also significantly lower (p less than 0.05) than in controls. No significant difference was observed in the rebleeding rate in treated and untreated patients with late admission (4-7 days). Mortality from rebleeding was 16% in the first study group versus 17% in controls; in the second study group the figure was 6% versus 8% in controls. Seventy-five cases of ischaemic disorders (29%) were registered in treated patients versus 13 cases in controls (14%; p less than 0.01). Thirty-seven patients receiving AFT (14%) developed significant ventricular dilatation requiring shunt insertion, versus one patient in the control groups (1%; p less than 0.001). Final outcome was similar in the 4 groups. In conclusion--according to our data--AFT modifies the behaviour of rebleeding and the patients' course, although it does not modify the outcome after SAH. Clinical use of antifibrinolytic therapy appears still justified in those patients who cannot be operated on in the acute stage after SAH, provided that an associated anti-ischaemic therapy is undertaken.