Rehabilitation implications of non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Objective: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) remains an important cause of stroke in the rehabilitation population, whose incidence has not been changed by pre-morbid medical treatment. The understanding of the pathophysiological changes that occur after SAH has been more clearly defined, therefore the treatment and outcomes of these patients have undergone drastic changes over the past few years. The purpose of this review is to update and familiarize the rehabilitation professional on the state of the art treatment and common complications associated with this disease and how this may affect the rehabilitation programme. Also, the current literature on the outcomes of these patients will be reviewed to help advise the rehabilitation professional on potential predictors.

Data Sources: Literature review.

Study Selection: Articles of relevance to the current management of SAH.

Data Extraction: Information that was deemed significant in the understanding of the pathophysiology, treatment and results of outcomes in patients with SAH.

Data Synthesis: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is the one sub-type of stroke whose incidence has not declined. Due to advances in medical care, mortality rate is on the decline. Outcomes data was analysed to look for common predictors for this patient population.

Conclusions: While the incidence of SAH has not declined, improving medical treatment has reduced mortality. The rehabilitation professional should be familiar with the latest advances, potential complications and likely outcomes in order to plan the most appropriate therapy course for these patients.