{
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "eyebrow": "Emergency Neurology",
  "title": "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Diagnostic Testing",
  "summary": "Evaluate suspected subarachnoid hemorrhage with immediate noncontrast CT, using headache timing and CT interpretation quality to determine whether lumbar puncture, CT angiography, or vascular imaging is still required.",
  "seoDescription": "Physician guide to subarachnoid hemorrhage testing: Ottawa SAH Rule, timing of noncontrast CT, lumbar puncture, CTA, and angiographic escalation.",
  "clinicalQuestion": "How should clinicians sequence CT, lumbar puncture, CTA, and angiography when evaluating suspected subarachnoid hemorrhage?",
  "specialty": "Emergency Medicine and Neurology",
  "audience": "U.S. physicians and medical trainees",
  "tags": [
    "subarachnoid hemorrhage",
    "thunderclap headache",
    "noncontrast head CT",
    "lumbar puncture",
    "xanthochromia",
    "CT angiography",
    "Ottawa SAH Rule"
  ],
  "keyTakeaways": [
    "In patients with acute severe headache, noncontrast head CT performed within 6 hours of onset has pooled sensitivity of 98.7% when interpreted by a radiologist experienced in brain imaging; sensitivity falls to 90% or less after 6 hours. [5][7]",
    "The Ottawa SAH Rule is highly sensitive but poorly specific (pooled sensitivity 99.5%, specificity 24%); use it to avoid missed high-risk presentations, not to establish SAH. [5][7]",
    "After a negative CT when residual concern for SAH remains, lumbar puncture with spectrophotometric CSF analysis is a high-sensitivity pathway; CTA is an alternative in selected patients but introduces vascular and incidental-aneurysm findings that require interpretation. [5][6][20]",
    "A positive noncontrast CT should trigger urgent vascular imaging to identify the bleeding source and transfer or management in a center with neurocritical care and aneurysm-treatment expertise. [13][21]"
  ],
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "triage-and-initial-imaging",
      "eyebrow": "Initial Decision",
      "heading": "Who needs urgent testing for subarachnoid hemorrhage",
      "intro": "Treat thunderclap headache as a time-dependent imaging problem rather than a symptom diagnosis.",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Obtain immediate noncontrast head CT for a patient with sudden severe headache when the presentation is concerning for nontraumatic SAH. Delayed diagnosis is associated with worse outcomes, and thunderclap headache also warrants consideration of intracranial hemorrhage and other vascular disorders. [6]",
        "The Ottawa SAH Rule can identify patients at very low risk among the rule's intended acute-headache population, but a positive rule result should be understood as an imaging trigger rather than evidence of hemorrhage. In pooled validation data, sensitivity was 99.5% (95% CI, 90.8%-100%) but specificity only 24% (95% CI, 15.5%-34.4%), so broad application substantially increases testing. [5][7]",
        "Do not use a normal neurologic examination alone to end the evaluation. The strongest early-CT evidence applies specifically to neurologically intact patients with a high-quality CT obtained promptly after headache onset and interpreted by an experienced reader. [20]"
      ],
      "bullets": [
        "Document the best estimate of ictus time before interpreting a negative CT as a rule-out study; the clinically important cutoff is 6 hours from headache onset. [5][7]",
        "If onset time is uncertain, manage the negative CT as a study performed beyond the validated early-CT interval and pursue additional testing when suspicion persists. [5][7]",
        "A diagnostic pathway for suspected SAH may also identify other clinically important causes of acute headache, including intracerebral hemorrhage, tumor, and meningitis. [7]"
      ],
      "subsections": [],
      "table": {
        "caption": "Initial diagnostic choices in suspected nontraumatic SAH. [5][6][7][20]",
        "columns": [
          "Clinical setting",
          "First test",
          "Interpretation that changes the next step"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            "Sudden severe headache with concern for SAH",
            "Noncontrast head CT immediately",
            "Subarachnoid blood establishes hemorrhage and should prompt vascular source evaluation. [6][13]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT within 6 hours, neurologically intact, expert brain-image interpretation",
            "Assess CT quality, timing, and residual pretest concern",
            "Pooled CT sensitivity is 98.7%; selected patients may forgo further SAH testing after shared clinical assessment. [5][7][20]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT performed more than 6 hours after ictus or uncertain timing",
            "Lumbar puncture or selected CTA pathway",
            "CT sensitivity beyond 6 hours was 90% or less in available studies; do not treat the scan as equivalently exclusionary. [5][7]"
          ],
          [
            "Positive CT or proven SAH",
            "CTA and, when needed, catheter angiography",
            "Identify a vascular cause and expedite definitive aneurysm-directed evaluation. [6][13]"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "ct-timing-and-performance",
      "eyebrow": "Noncontrast CT",
      "heading": "When a negative head CT is sufficient",
      "intro": "The safety of a CT-only strategy depends on timing, scanner performance, reader expertise, and patient selection.",
      "paragraphs": [
        "For suspected SAH, obtain noncontrast CT before lumbar puncture because CT detects acute hemorrhage and rapidly identifies alternative structural emergencies. In a systematic review of diagnostic studies, CT performed within 6 hours had pooled sensitivity of 98.7% (95% CI, 96.5%-100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 99.7%-100%). [5][7]",
        "The early-CT rule-out approach requires more than a clock time. The cited clinical framework specifies a third-generation or higher CT scanner, imaging within 6 hours of onset, a neurologically intact patient, and a scan read as normal by a neuroradiologist; under those conditions, further testing was considered unnecessary. [20]",
        "After 6 hours, negative CT is materially less reassuring. The pooled review found sensitivity of 90% or less in the two studies evaluating later imaging; proceed to CSF testing or a selected CTA-based approach when the clinical concern remains meaningful. [5][7]",
        "CT technique and interpretation remain operationally important. In the prospective early-CT cohort, scanners were third-generation multislice systems, and sites used 5-7.5 mm brain cuts with 2.5-5 mm posterior-fossa cuts after 2002; do not automatically extrapolate early-CT performance to nondiagnostic studies, poor-quality scans, or settings without routine brain-imaging expertise. [8]"
      ],
      "bullets": [
        "Before accepting a negative CT-only result, verify: known onset within 6 hours, noncontrast acquisition, technically adequate study, and interpretation by a radiologist who routinely interprets brain imaging. [5][20]",
        "A patient with persistent high clinical concern despite an early negative CT deserves individualized additional testing; the pooled early-CT sensitivity is high but not mathematically absolute. [5][7]",
        "MRI with fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and susceptibility-weighted sequences can be sensitive for SAH, particularly days after ictus, but is not the first-line acute test in the standard thunderclap-headache pathway. [20]"
      ],
      "subsections": [],
      "table": {
        "caption": "How CT timing changes post-CT testing. [5][7][20]",
        "columns": [
          "CT result and timing",
          "Residual concern",
          "Recommended diagnostic direction"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            "Positive noncontrast CT at any time",
            "SAH established",
            "Obtain vascular imaging to define the bleeding source and arrange aneurysm-treatment evaluation. [13][21]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT within 6 hours under validated conditions",
            "Low after high-quality expert interpretation",
            "CT-only exclusion may be reasonable in a neurologically intact patient after assessing pretest probability and imaging quality. [20]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT after 6 hours",
            "Persistently clinically important",
            "Perform LP with CSF analysis or consider CTA in selected cases. [5][6][7]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT with uncertain onset or inadequate interpretation",
            "Cannot apply early-CT evidence reliably",
            "Use the delayed or indeterminate pathway: LP or selected CTA, based on clinical context and test tradeoffs. [5][6][20]"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lumbar-puncture-after-negative-ct",
      "eyebrow": "CSF Testing",
      "heading": "How to use lumbar puncture after a negative CT",
      "intro": "Lumbar puncture remains the principal confirmatory test when CT does not adequately exclude SAH.",
      "paragraphs": [
        "After a negative noncontrast CT obtained beyond 6 hours, perform lumbar puncture when the residual probability of SAH justifies an invasive test. In pooled diagnostic data, LP with spectrophotometric CSF analysis after negative CT had sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95% (95% CI, 86.0%-98.5%). [5][7]",
        "Request CSF xanthochromia assessment using spectrophotometry when available and clinically applicable. Spectrophotometric analysis is the method evaluated in the pooled high-sensitivity LP studies; visual xanthochromia and red-cell counts have different limitations and should not be treated as interchangeable assays. [5][7][24]",
        "Interpret CSF red blood cells cautiously because traumatic taps are common and may be difficult to distinguish from SAH. A review cites a final-tube RBC threshold of 2,000 × 10^6/L with sensitivity 93% and specificity 93% for aneurysmal SAH, whereas lower final-tube thresholds trade sensitivity for specificity; therefore, a low or falling RBC count alone should not override the clinical and xanthochromia context. [24]",
        "LP can also redirect the diagnosis toward meningitis or another disorder when CT is negative. This broader diagnostic yield is a practical advantage over a vascular-only strategy, particularly when fever, meningismus, immunocompromise, or altered mental status broadens the differential. [7]"
      ],
      "bullets": [
        "Use LP primarily when CT timing is greater than 6 hours, onset is uncertain, CT quality is limited, or pretest concern remains substantial after negative CT. [5][7]",
        "Order and document the laboratory's actual xanthochromia method; spectrophotometry has stronger diagnostic-accuracy support than visual inspection. [5][7][8]",
        "Interpret an RBC-positive CSF sample in conjunction with xanthochromia, CT timing, examination, and vascular imaging rather than labeling every bloody specimen as SAH. [20][24]"
      ],
      "subsections": [],
      "table": {
        "caption": "CSF interpretation issues after negative CT. [5][7][20][24]",
        "columns": [
          "CSF finding or issue",
          "Interpretive limitation",
          "Actionable response"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            "Spectrophotometric xanthochromia analysis",
            "Method-specific result; availability varies by laboratory",
            "Use as the preferred CSF analytic approach when LP is pursued for CT-negative suspected SAH. [5][7]"
          ],
          [
            "Blood in CSF",
            "Traumatic tap may mimic SAH",
            "Do not diagnose or exclude SAH using red cells alone; integrate xanthochromia and clinical context. [20][24]"
          ],
          [
            "Final-tube RBC <2,000 × 10^6/L",
            "Reported threshold had 93% sensitivity and 93% specificity, not perfect exclusion",
            "Do not use as a stand-alone rule-out when concern remains or xanthochromia is present. [24]"
          ],
          [
            "Negative CT plus LP pathway",
            "LP may yield false-positive results and lower pathway specificity",
            "Balance the residual SAH risk against invasive testing and the consequences of ambiguous CSF findings. [7]"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "cta-and-vascular-imaging",
      "eyebrow": "Vascular Imaging",
      "heading": "When CTA or catheter angiography should follow CT",
      "intro": "CTA answers a different question from LP: it seeks a vascular lesion rather than directly detecting CSF blood products.",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Obtain CTA after CT-confirmed SAH to identify an aneurysm or another vascular cause and to guide urgent cerebrovascular treatment planning. AHA/ASA guidance emphasizes management in centers with dedicated neurocritical care, multidisciplinary expertise, and experience treating aneurysms, which should influence early transfer decisions when these services are unavailable. [13]",
        "For CT-negative thunderclap headache, CTA can be an alternative to LP in selected cases, especially when LP is difficult or unacceptable, but it should be chosen deliberately. CTA can identify vascular causes of thunderclap headache, whereas MRI/MRA may reveal alternative diagnoses such as cerebral venous thrombosis or reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome and may also produce incidental findings with uncertain management implications. [6][20]",
        "A CTA-detected aneurysm does not by itself prove that the aneurysm caused the headache or that occult SAH occurred. Interpret a vascular lesion with the noncontrast CT, CSF findings when obtained, headache phenotype, and neuroradiologic review; incidental intracranial aneurysms can create downstream procedural decisions. [4][20]",
        "Proceed to digital subtraction angiography when noninvasive vascular imaging does not resolve the source in a patient with proven SAH or when neurovascular specialists require higher-resolution lesion characterization for treatment planning. Catheter angiography carries procedure-related risks including vessel dissection or perforation, embolic stroke, access-site bleeding, renal failure, and death, so reserve it for a result that will change management. [1]"
      ],
      "bullets": [
        "CT-positive SAH: obtain vascular imaging urgently and involve neurosurgery, neurointerventional specialists, and neurocritical care. [13][21]",
        "CT-negative, LP not feasible or not desired: CTA is a selective alternative, with counseling about detection of incidental aneurysms and the possibility that a negative CTA does not evaluate all nonaneurysmal headache causes. [6][20]",
        "Proven SAH with unrevealing or discordant noninvasive imaging: discuss catheter angiography promptly with the neurovascular team. [13][1]"
      ],
      "subsections": [],
      "table": {
        "caption": "Selecting vascular imaging after suspected or confirmed SAH. [1][6][13][20]",
        "columns": [
          "Clinical question",
          "Preferred test direction",
          "Important tradeoff"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            "Is there acute intracranial blood?",
            "Noncontrast head CT",
            "High early diagnostic performance depends on timing and expert interpretation. [5][7][20]"
          ],
          [
            "Is there an aneurysm or other vascular cause after CT-positive SAH?",
            "CTA followed by specialist-directed angiographic evaluation",
            "Defining anatomy enables treatment planning but may require invasive imaging. [13][1]"
          ],
          [
            "Can vascular imaging substitute for LP after negative CT?",
            "CTA in selected cases",
            "Identifies vascular causes but may detect incidental aneurysms and is not the same biologic test as CSF analysis. [6][20]"
          ],
          [
            "Is a vascular lesion unresolved or treatment planning requires detailed anatomy?",
            "Digital subtraction angiography",
            "Higher procedural risk than noninvasive imaging, including ischemic and access complications. [1]"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "after-sah-is-confirmed",
      "eyebrow": "Diagnostic Escalation",
      "heading": "What confirmed subarachnoid hemorrhage changes immediately",
      "intro": "Once hemorrhage is identified, diagnostic testing shifts from exclusion to source definition and complication surveillance.",
      "paragraphs": [
        "A confirmed SAH should prompt urgent source evaluation because rebleeding before aneurysm repair is a major preventable complication. A meta-analysis summarized in a clinical review found rebleeding in 7%-26% of patients, with a mean of 13%; risk was associated with proximity to the initial hemorrhage, higher blood pressure, worse neurologic grade, intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage, and larger aneurysm. [20]",
        "Transfer or admit to a center with neurocritical care and an experienced aneurysm-treatment team when feasible. Care in centers with dedicated neurocritical care units, higher case volume, physician expertise in aneurysm treatment, expert nursing, and multidisciplinary teams is associated with lower mortality and greater likelihood of good functional outcome. [13]",
        "In a patient with later neurologic deterioration after aneurysmal SAH, do not attribute the deficit automatically to vasospasm. Device-trial eligibility criteria for symptomatic vasospasm specifically excluded symptoms attributable to hydrocephalus, metabolic causes, or infection, illustrating the need to reassess these competing causes before escalating vasospasm-directed interventions. [1]"
      ],
      "bullets": [
        "Document CT hemorrhage pattern, intraventricular extension, and intraparenchymal hematoma because these features influence source evaluation and rebleeding risk assessment. [20]",
        "Use multidisciplinary neurovascular review to select aneurysm treatment strategy rather than choosing clipping or endovascular therapy from a single imaging characteristic. [3][13]",
        "For new deficits during hospitalization, repeat focused neurologic assessment and evaluate alternative causes such as hydrocephalus, infection, and metabolic derangement alongside delayed cerebral ischemia. [1]"
      ],
      "subsections": [],
      "table": {
        "caption": "Diagnostic priorities after SAH confirmation. [1][13][20][21]",
        "columns": [
          "Time point",
          "Diagnostic priority",
          "Result that changes action"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            "Immediately after CT confirmation",
            "CTA or specialist-directed vascular imaging",
            "Aneurysm or vascular lesion identification triggers urgent definitive-treatment planning. [13][21]"
          ],
          [
            "Before aneurysm is secured",
            "Assess features linked to rebleeding risk",
            "Early interval from ictus, higher blood pressure, worse grade, intraventricular/intracerebral blood, and larger aneurysm increase concern for rebleeding. [20]"
          ],
          [
            "New neurologic decline after aSAH",
            "Reassess for hydrocephalus, metabolic causes, infection, and delayed cerebral ischemia",
            "Alternative cause identified should be treated before labeling deterioration as vasospasm alone. [1]"
          ]
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq": [],
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  "editorialNote": "Prepared from cited clinical literature using Astra's research workflow. Verify recommendations against current guidance and patient-specific factors.",
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      "authors": "www.accessdata.fda.gov",
      "host": "www.accessdata.fda.gov",
      "snippet": "in these territories on DSA. 6. Vasospasm despite maximized medical management defined as oral nimodipine (unless contraindicated), systemic hypertension with systolic blood pressure greater than 130 mmHg and euvolemia. 7. Target vessel pre-YDVRVSDVP\u0003GLDPHWHU\u0003\u0003\u0015\u0011\u0013\u0003PP DQG\u0003\u0003\u0017\u0011\u0013\u0003PP. 8. Patient or leg",
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      "snippet": "Indications For Use The CoAxia NeuroFloTM Catheter is intended for the treatment of cerebral ischemia resulting from symptomatic vasospasm following aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage, secured by either surgical or endovascular intervention for patients who have failed maximal medical management.\nCo",
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      "host": "www.fda.gov",
      "snippet": "that occur after the treatment over the subsequent 2 weeks of hospital care, including hydrocephalus, including vasospasm clinically in up to a third of the patients, including cerebritis and infection and DVTs and PEs and many other things that dramatically complicate and increase the noise in that",
      "score": 0.5120832
    },
    {
      "number": 4,
      "title": "[PDF] summary of safety and effectiveness data (ssed) - accessdata.fda.gov",
      "detail": "www.accessdata.fda.gov",
      "url": "https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf17/P170032B.pdf",
      "authors": "www.accessdata.fda.gov",
      "host": "www.accessdata.fda.gov",
      "snippet": "based on patient factors such as IA location, size, and morphology and the importance of well controlled studies in the evaluation of reasonable safety and effectiveness of these devices. The background and meeting materials for the April 17, 2015 general issues meeting can be accessed at the follow",
      "score": 0.25747135
    },
    {
      "number": 5,
      "title": "systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies",
      "detail": "emj.bmj.com",
      "url": "https://emj.bmj.com/content/emermed/39/11/818.full.pdf",
      "authors": "emj.bmj.com",
      "host": "emj.bmj.com",
      "snippet": "Results Thirty-­ seven studies were included. Eight studies assessing the Ottawa SAH clinical decision rule were pooled; sensitivity 99.5% (95% CI 90.8 to 100), specificity 24% (95% CI 15.5 to 34.4). Four studies assessing CT within 6 hours of headache onset were pooled; sensitivity 98.7% (95% CI 96",
      "score": 0.7471924
    },
    {
      "number": 6,
      "title": "Assessment and investigation of thunderclap headache - The BMJ",
      "detail": "www.bmj.com",
      "url": "https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj-2024-083247.full.pdf",
      "authors": "www.bmj.com",
      "host": "www.bmj.com",
      "snippet": "The Ottawa subarachnoid haemorrhage rule has a high sensitivity and low specificity. It can help identify patients who are at low risk for non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage and reduce unnecessary investigations.\n\n   Early imaging (non-contrast CT (computed tomography) within 6 hours) and, if ne",
      "score": 0.72675586
    },
    {
      "number": 7,
      "title": "Management of patients presenting to the emergency department with sudden onset severe headache: systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies | Emergency Medicine Journal",
      "detail": "emj.bmj.com",
      "url": "https://emj.bmj.com/content/39/11/818",
      "authors": "emj.bmj.com",
      "host": "emj.bmj.com",
      "snippet": "#### What is already known on this subject\n\nGuidelines typically recommend non-contrast CT head followed by lumbar puncture in patients who present with headache symptoms suspicious for subarachnoid haemorrhage.\n\nMore recently, studies have questioned the need for routine lumbar puncture after a nor",
      "score": 0.6844544
    },
    {
      "number": 8,
      "title": "Sensitivity of computed tomography performed within six hours of onset of headache for diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage: prospective cohort study",
      "detail": "www.bmj.com",
      "url": "https://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4277",
      "authors": "www.bmj.com",
      "host": "www.bmj.com",
      "snippet": "24.   ↵Macdonald A, Mendelow AD. Xanthochromia revisited: a re-evaluation of lumbar puncture and CT scanning in the diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1988;51:342-4. OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full TextGoogle Scholar  \n25.   ↵Perry JJ, Sivilotti MLA, Stiell IG, Wells GA, ",
      "score": 0.6690754
    },
    {
      "number": 9,
      "title": "A Randomized Clinical - JAMA Network",
      "detail": "jamanetwork.com",
      "url": "https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurol/articlepdf/10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.1792",
      "authors": "jamanetwork.com",
      "host": "jamanetwork.com",
      "snippet": "Meaning In this trial, among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, lumbar drainage improved clinical neurological outcomes at 6",
      "score": 0.23009738
    },
    {
      "number": 10,
      "title": "Predictors and Impact of Aneurysm Rebleeding After Subarachnoid ...",
      "detail": "jamanetwork.com",
      "url": "https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/787971",
      "authors": "jamanetwork.com",
      "host": "jamanetwork.com",
      "snippet": "The rebleeding rate among patients who underwent aneurysm repair was 5% (22/444); this rate was higher among patients with clipped rather than coiled aneurysms",
      "score": 0.19952664
    },
    {
      "number": 11,
      "title": "Effectiveness of Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Drain Among Patients ...",
      "detail": "jamanetwork.com",
      "url": "https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2806583",
      "authors": "jamanetwork.com",
      "host": "jamanetwork.com",
      "snippet": "Meaning In this trial, among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, lumbar drainage improved clinical neurological outcomes at 6",
      "score": 0.15498921
    },
    {
      "number": 12,
      "title": "Comment on the 2023 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage",
      "detail": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "url": "https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.043541",
      "authors": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "host": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "snippet": "Comment on the 2023 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage | Stroke. Comment on the 2023 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 2023 Aneurysmal Subarachno",
      "score": 0.77994305
    },
    {
      "number": 13,
      "title": "2023 Guideline for the Management of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association | Stroke",
      "detail": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "url": "https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000436?s=09",
      "authors": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "host": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "snippet": "# 2023 Guideline for the Management of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association The 2023 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage guideline provides recommendations based on current evidence for the treatment of these pat",
      "score": 0.7623715
    },
    {
      "number": 14,
      "title": "Diagnosis and management of subarachnoid haemorrhage - Nature",
      "detail": "www.nature.com",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46015-2",
      "authors": "www.nature.com",
      "host": "www.nature.com",
      "snippet": "Article \nPubMed \nGoogle Scholar\n\nSubarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm: diagnosis and management. NICE Guideline. , Accessed on January 2024.\n\nGreenberg, S. M. et al. 2022 Guideline for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a guideline from the Americ",
      "score": 0.62523276
    },
    {
      "number": 15,
      "title": "External multicenter validation of the eSAH score for predicting ...",
      "detail": "www.nature.com",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34326-3_reference.pdf",
      "authors": "www.nature.com",
      "host": "www.nature.com",
      "snippet": "513 514 515 Data Availability 516 De-identified patient data that support the findings of this study are not 517 publicly available due to privacy and institutional restrictions but can be ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS 17 518 made available from the corresponding author upon ",
      "score": 0.4504325
    },
    {
      "number": 16,
      "title": "External multicenter validation of the eSAH score for predicting outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage | Scientific Reports",
      "detail": "www.nature.com",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34326-3",
      "authors": "www.nature.com",
      "host": "www.nature.com",
      "snippet": "Article \nCAS \nPubMed \nGoogle Scholar\n\nVaccaro, M., Almaatouq, A. & Malone, T. When combinations of humans and AI are useful: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat. Hum. Behav. 8 (12), 2293–2303.  (2024).\n\nArticle \nPubMed \nPubMed Central \nGoogle Scholar\n\nTreggiari, M. M. et al. Guidelines for th",
      "score": 0.44087905
    },
    {
      "number": 17,
      "title": "Management of hypertensive crisis: British and Irish ... - Nature",
      "detail": "www.nature.com",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-022-00776-9",
      "authors": "www.nature.com",
      "host": "www.nature.com",
      "snippet": "Kieninger M, Gruber M, Knott I, Dettmer K, Oefner PJ, Bele S, et al. Incidence of arterial hypotension in patients receiving peroral or continuous intra-arterial nimodipine after aneurysmal or perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurocrit Care. 2019;31:32–9.\n\nArticle \nCAS \nPubMed \nGoogle Scho",
      "score": 0.23009738
    },
    {
      "number": 18,
      "title": "Sensitivity of Early Brain Computed Tomography to Exclude ...",
      "detail": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "url": "https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/strokeaha.115.011386",
      "authors": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "host": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "snippet": "This is because the sensitivity of CT scans for detecting subarachnoid blood ranges from 90% to 100% when performed within the first 24 hours",
      "score": 0.3004381
    },
    {
      "number": 19,
      "title": "Effectiveness of Diagnostic Strategies in Suspected Delayed ...",
      "detail": "stroke.ahajournals.org",
      "url": "http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/46/1/77",
      "authors": "stroke.ahajournals.org",
      "host": "stroke.ahajournals.org",
      "snippet": "Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a serious complication after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. If DCI is suspected clinically,",
      "score": 0.3620219
    },
    {
      "number": 20,
      "title": "Treatment of Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage",
      "detail": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "url": "https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025997",
      "authors": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "host": "www.ahajournals.org",
      "snippet": "Any erythrocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid are pathognomonic of SAH, but a traumatic tap is common and often cannot be differentiated from SAH in part because most clinical laboratories do not have validated spectrophotometry.8 It has been shown that if the initial CT is obtained on a third-generat",
      "score": 0.79522943
    },
    {
      "number": 21,
      "title": "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage",
      "detail": "journals.lww.com",
      "url": "https://journals.lww.com/continuum/abstract/2018/12000/subarachnoid_hemorrhage.6.aspx",
      "authors": "journals.lww.com",
      "host": "journals.lww.com",
      "snippet": "Title: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage\n*   About the JournalAbout _Continuum_About _Continuum_ AudioSubscription Details and AccessAAN Resident and Fellow Members InformationEditorial BoardEditorial and Publishing ContactsInformation for AuthorsAAN-WFN _Continuum_ ProgramAbout AANRights and PermissionsRepri",
      "score": 0.8029425
    },
    {
      "number": 22,
      "title": "Twelve controversial questions in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage",
      "detail": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0210569123002644",
      "authors": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "host": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "snippet": "Critical care management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains a major challenge worldwide.1, 2 The lack of class I recommendations and the evolving knowledge of early brain injury 3 and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI)4 faces neurointensivists with uncertainity, despite recently publi",
      "score": 0.66699636
    },
    {
      "number": 23,
      "title": "Evaluating the strength and quality of evidence in American heart association/American stroke association's guidelines for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage - ScienceDirect",
      "detail": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1052305724003549",
      "authors": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "host": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "snippet": "### Eur J Heart Fail\n\n### Improved outcomes with European Society of Cardiology guideline-adherent antithrombotic treatment in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation: a report from the EORP-AF General Pilot Registry\n\n### Europace\n\n### Scientific evidence underlying the ACC/AHA clinical practice",
      "score": 0.57723385
    },
    {
      "number": 24,
      "title": "Controversies in the Diagnosis of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - ScienceDirect",
      "detail": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736467915011579",
      "authors": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "host": "www.sciencedirect.com",
      "snippet": "Perry and colleagues75 used a threshold of 2000 × 106/L in the final tube and found a sensitivity of 93% (95% CI: 66%–98%) and specificity of 93% (95% CI: 91%–95%) for aneurysmal SAH. Czuczman and colleagues71 found an LR for the diagnosis of SAH of 0 (95% CI: 0–0.3) with an RBC count less than 100 ",
      "score": 0.68090034
    }
  ],
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-15T21:17:39.052290+00:00",
  "updatedAt": "2026-09-15T21:17:39.052290+00:00",
  "readingMinutes": 6,
  "slug": "subarachnoid-hemorrhage-diagnostic-testing"
}
