Abstract
In this paper, the treatment of patients with severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage of Fisher's classification III alone is persented, applying acute surgery and pharmacological prevention of symptomatic vasospasm.
Calcium-antagonist flunarizine is administered orally from just after early operation until 22 days after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The results in a series of 16 patients showed no permanent ischemic neurologic deficits from delayed vasospasm: on the other hand, the same number of patients who were not treated by flunarizine showed six permanent ischemic neurologic deficits including three deaths due to delayed vasospasm. There were no side effects from flunarizine.
From this evidence, it might be concluded that flunarizine significantly inhibits the occurrence of severe neurological deficits due to delayed vasospasm. This highly benefical effect might be attributable to its intense inhibitory action on cellular Ca2+ overload.
