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Updated: May 23, 2026
The Rabbit Blood-shunt Model for the Study of Acute and Late Sequelae of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Technical Aspects
Published on: October 2, 2014
Results of single burr hole drainage for acute subdural hematoma with non-reactive pupil
Youichi Yanagawa1, Toshihisa Sakamoto
1Juntendo University, Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Japan. yyanaga@juntendo.ac.jp
Aim:
To investigate the effects of emergency burr hole drainage for acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) with bilateral non-reactive pupils.
Material And Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing medical records from 1998 to 2007. Patients meeting the following criteria were included: 1) head injury with unconsciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale score 8); 2) bilateral non-reactive pupils on arrival; 3) ASDH with disappearance of basal cistern on computed tomography (CT); and 4) performance of emergency single burr hole drainage. Subjects were divided into survival and non-survival groups.
Results:
Pupil size on the small side was significantly smaller in the survival group than in the non-survival group. All pupils on the small side in the survival group were 4 mm.
Conclusion:
Emergency burr hole drainage should still be considered in patients with ASDH showing bilateral non-reactive pupils and one pupil 4 mm.