[Strategy for intensive care in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage]

Severe medical complications account for 20-30% of all deaths in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. High quality of intensive care is needed to prevent and correct pulmonary complications and electrolyte disturbances. Guidelines of intensive medical treatment should be defined to control intracranial hypertension and ischemic secondary cerebral damage in comatose patients. Extensive monitoring is necessary to achieve adequate observation in the perioperative period and safe treatment of vasospasm. A multidisciplinary approach in a critical area with intensive and sub-intensive beds, based on the cooperative role of neurosurgeons and anesthetists/intensivists, could improve the medical care, reducing complications, ICU stay and costs.