L C M E D S O C .O R G BRAIN ANEURYSMS AND SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE By CHRISTOPHER MELINOSKY, M.D. Board Certified Neurologist, Lehigh Valley Health Network Introduction Subarachnoid hemorrhage describes bleeding into the space of the brain between the pia lining the brain and the surface of the brain. When subarachnoid hemorrhage is nontraumatic, it is typically due to rupture of an aneurysm. Brain aneurysms are the result of weakness of the arterial wall, causing a ballooning of the layers of the artery typically at branching points. A ruptured aneurysm is a neurologic emergency requiring immediate medical care in a specialized intensive care unit. Nearly 15% of patients with aneurysm rupture die before reaching the hospital. Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage due to aneurysm rupture is a rare disease, making up only 3% of all strokes. Treatment involves very complex multidisciplinary management with a team of individuals in a neuroscience intensive care unit. Overall the mortality has decreased with the advent of dedicated neurocritical care physicians and more modern treatment Continued on page 8 FALL / WINTER 2020 | Lehigh County Health & Medicine 7http://www.LCMEDSOC.ORG