Subarachnoid hemorrhage examination methods

Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
Updated on June 13, 2025
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Subarachnoid hemorrhage is also relatively common in clinical practice. Patients may experience severe headaches, nausea, and projectile vomiting. The clinical signs generally include positive meningeal irritation signs, typically presenting with neck stiffness, Kernig's sign, and Brudzinski's sign all being positive. Clinically, the diagnosis can be confirmed mainly through cranial CT scans. If conditions permit, lumbar puncture can be performed to ascertain the nature of the cerebrospinal fluid and the intracranial pressure, etc. After a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs, patients should be admitted to the neurology department for active treatment, and typically receive dehydration therapy to reduce intracranial pressure and neuroprotection among other symptomatic treatments.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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Subarachnoid hemorrhage clinical manifestations

When a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs, patients can experience varying degrees of headache, usually unbearable, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Projectile vomiting indicates high intracranial pressure in the patient. Hours after the second subarachnoid hemorrhage, signs of meningeal irritation can appear, generally presenting positively, such as neck stiffness, headache, vomiting, etc. The third issue involves varying degrees of consciousness and mental disorders in patients, and some may even display symptoms of epilepsy. Therefore, with the appearance of the above clinical symptoms, patients should actively seek treatment from a neurologist for further management.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Does subarachnoid hemorrhage have a genetic component?

Subarachnoid hemorrhage, this disease does not have a significant genetic tendency, so there is no need to worry excessively. The main cause of the bleeding is the rupture of an aneurysm, which is due to abnormal blood vessel development resulting in fusiform aneurysms that rupture and bleed under certain conditions. Additionally, there are other causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage, such as long-term smoking which can cause arterial disease, some arteriovenous malformations are also prone to rupture and bleed, and some traumatic injuries can also lead to subarachnoid hemorrhage; these are not hereditary. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a rather dangerous condition, so it is essential to control risk factors, properly manage blood pressure, and absolutely avoid smoking. If severe headaches, nausea, and vomiting occur, it is crucial to be highly vigilant and seek medical attention at a hospital immediately.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
52sec home-news-image

Subarachnoid hemorrhage examination methods

Subarachnoid hemorrhage is also relatively common in clinical practice. Patients may experience severe headaches, nausea, and projectile vomiting. The clinical signs generally include positive meningeal irritation signs, typically presenting with neck stiffness, Kernig's sign, and Brudzinski's sign all being positive. Clinically, the diagnosis can be confirmed mainly through cranial CT scans. If conditions permit, lumbar puncture can be performed to ascertain the nature of the cerebrospinal fluid and the intracranial pressure, etc. After a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs, patients should be admitted to the neurology department for active treatment, and typically receive dehydration therapy to reduce intracranial pressure and neuroprotection among other symptomatic treatments.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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The difference between cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage

There is a significant difference between cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. For subarachnoid hemorrhage, the specific causes are mainly divided into two types. The first cause is due to trauma, violent strikes, car accidents, or falls from heights, leading to localized vascular rupture and extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage. It generally presents as obvious high-density shadows in the ventricular system or cisterns. The occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage often leads to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, neck stiffness, and positive meningeal irritation signs. The other situation is spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, most often due to intracranial aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations. Cerebral hemorrhage is primarily due to hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, which is more likely to occur, mostly seen in the bilateral basal ganglia, presenting as localized high-density shadows.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Is subarachnoid hemorrhage hereditary?

Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs due to the rupture of intracranial blood vessels and the subsequent leaking of blood into the subarachnoid space. In most cases, this condition is caused by the rupture of an aneurysm. This disease does not have a significant genetic predisposition, so there is no need for excessive worry. The common causes of this disease are primarily intracranial aneurysms, followed by vascular malformations. It should be noted that arteriosclerosis can also lead to the formation of aneurysms, and long-term smoking can also cause aneurysms. Subarachnoid hemorrhage often begins abruptly, and the patient might be engaged in some physical activity or experiencing fluctuating emotions when suddenly severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and even consciousness disturbances occur. It is essential to treat a subarachnoid hemorrhage as soon as possible.