Improving Outcomes: Early Nursing Functional Evaluation of Patients with Intracranial Aneurysms After...

Intracranial aneurysms are localized, pathological dilatations of the walls of cerebral arteries. While small, unruptured aneurysms may not require intervention, treatment decisions involve complex clinical dilemmas, balancing the risks of treatment with the possibility of neurological deficits. This study aimed to functionally evaluate patients after treatment (embolization or craniotomy) of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

A total of 75 patients from one of the hospitals in Northern Poland were included in the study. The study was retrospective, with data analysis covering the period from December 2023 to October 2024. Data were collected using a diagnostic survey based on electronic medical records, including sociodemographic and clinical data. Assessments using the Barthel index, Rankin scale, NRS scale, and Waterlow scale were performed on days 1 and 3 postoperatively. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics (n, %, mean, median, SD, IQR), tests of independence (χ2) and comparisons (Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn).

A significant part of the patients were women (78.67%). Most were aged 66-75. Embolisation was the primary treatment method (85.33%), resulting in statistically significantly better functional results than clipping on the 1st and 3rd postoperative days. A statistically significant relationship was found between higher Waterlow scale scores and an increased risk of complications on the first and third days after the procedure.

The study indicates that embolisation was associated with better early functional outcomes than clipping. Given the non-randomized treatment allocation, this association may reflect both the procedure type and underlying patient or aneurysm characteristics. The Waterlow score successfully predicted the risk of postoperative complications. The results highlight the importance of early and comprehensive postoperative evaluation to optimize patient care. The results reflect early postoperative recovery (days 1 and 3) and should not be directly extrapolated to long-term functional outcomes.