Sequential changes of cerebral blood flow after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

A total of 226 measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) were performed in 96 postoperative patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). The global CBF was significantly reduced in the first week after SAH, and the extent of the CBF reduction was less in the patients with good outcome than in those with fair/poor outcome. The good outcome patients showed a progressive increase in CBF in the following 3 weeks. Although the CBF decreased further in the second week in some of those patients, it turned to a steady increase thereafter. On the other hand, in the fair/poor outcome patients CBF remained far below the normal control value for at least 3 months after SAH. When looking into the effect of age on CBF in the patients with good outcome, those in their thirties and forties had a significantly reduced CBF during the first 2 weeks, whereas in those in their fifties and sixties a significant reduction persisted for 3 months to 1 year after SAH. Management of the older patients needs special attention even if they are apparently in good clinical condition, since the CBF threshold to ischaemia is diminished.