Intracranial Aneurysm
Presentation - ruptured (most common cause of intracranial hemorrhage):
- headache
- nausea and vomiting
- focal neurological signs
- depressed consciousness
- ECG - sinus bradycardia, T abnormality (may mimic myocardial ischemia)
Hunt and Hess classification of subarachnoid hemorrhage
Cerebral vasospasm
- occurs generally 3-4 days after bleed
- major cause of morbididy
- diagnosis
- transcranial Doppler positive before symptoms:
- worsening headache
- hypertension
- treatment - "triple H"
- hypervolemia
- hypertension
- hemodilution
Management of Anesthesia
- Goals
- prevent increased blood pressure
- facilitate surgical exposure
- maintain euvolemia
- temporary occlusive clips on aneurysm afferents with normal or slightly elevated blood pressure probably better than controlled hypotension (and no clips)
- consider thiopental "protection"