Timelines and rebleeds in patients admitted into neurosurgical care for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Mortality and morbidity of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) remain high, and prognosis is influenced by multiple non-modifiable factors such as aSAH severity. By analysing the chronology of aSAH management, we aim at identifying modifiable factors with emphasis on the occurrence of rebleeds in a setting with 24/7 surgical and endovascular availability of aneurysm repair and routine administration of tranexamic acid.

Retrospective analysis of institutional quality registry data of aSAH cases admitted into neurosurgical care during the time period 01 January 2013-31 December 2017. We registered time and mode of aneurysm repair, haemorrhage patterns, course of treatment, mortality and functional outcome. Rebleeding was scored along the entire timeline from ictus to discharge from the primary stay.

We included 544 patients (368, 67.6% female), aged 58 ± 14 years (range 1-95 years). Aneurysm repair was performed in 486/544 (89.3%) patients at median 7.4 h after arrival and within 3, 6, 12 and 24 h in 26.8%, 44.7%, 73.0% and 96.1%, respectively. There were circadian variations in time to repair and in rebleeds. Rebleeding prior to aneurysm repair occurred in 9.7% and increased with aSAH severity and often in conjunction with patient relocations or interventions. Rebleeds occurred more often during surgical repair outside regular working hours, whereas rebleeds after repair (1.8%) were linked to endovascular repair.

The risk of rebleed is imminent throughout the entire timeline of aSAH management even with ultra-early aneurysm repair. Several modifiable factors can be linked to the occurrence of rebleeds and they should be identified and optimised within neurosurgical departments.