A Pilot Study To Correlate The Effect Of Risk Factors On Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage

Original Article

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the degree of association and effect of various risk factors on Spontaneous intracranial
hemorrhage.
Background: Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage is the Spontaneous Pathological accumulation of blood in the
cranium. A distinction is made between intra-axial hemorrhage (blood inside the brain) and extra-axial hemorrhage
(blood inside the skull but outside the brain). When this event manifests in sudden onset of focal neurological deficit
that lasts for more than 24 hours it is known as Hemorrhagic stroke. Intracranial hemorrhage accounts for 8-13%
of all strokes and results from a wide spectrum of disorders. Intracranial hemorrhage is more likely to result in death
or major disability than ischemic stroke. This study compared the clinical presentation of patients presenting with
intracranial hemorrhage and determined the reliability of each feature associated with this event.
Methods and Materials: This descriptive study was conducted on 100 patients of Spontaneous Intra-cranial
Hemorrhage at Mardan Medical Complex Teaching Hospital [MMCTH], Mardan from Jan 2012 to Oct 2012.
An in-depth history and examination was conducted in order to look for features that can be consistently linked with
this clinical event.

Results: We found that vigilant history and clinical examination reveals strong affiliation between
a few features and this clinical event. Conclusions: After taking a comprehensive history and methodical clinical examination a strong affiliation of Old age, Headache, vomiting, Hemiplegia, Hypertension and smoking was found
with Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage.
Key Words: Spontaneous intra-cranial hemorrhage, Stroke, Hypertension.