Differences in Clinical and Demographic Characteristics in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients with and Without an Aneurysm: A Cross-Sectional Study in Western Iran

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most costly and important causes of death and disability worldwide. Aneurysmal type of this hemorrhage has high fatality and permanent disability rates. Objectives: In the present study, demographic and clinical characteristics of SAH with and without an aneurysm were compared. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, via the census method, all patients diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage who were admitted to Farshchian Hospital in Hamadan during 2015 - 2016 were assessed. For SAH patients, both with and without an aneurysm, we used medical records to obtain demographic and clinical information. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 21, at a 95% confidence level. Results: Overall, the medical records of 69 patients were investigated in this study. Among them, 17 (24.63%) had an aneurysm. There was a significant difference between the age of SAH patients and aneurysm (P = 0.003). Concerning patient risk factors, 59.4% had a history of hypertension, 29% had a history of smoking, and 17.4% had a history of diabetes. These risk factors and patient aneurysm status were not significantly correlated (P > 0.05). The proportion of death, persistent defect, hydrocephaly, and re-bleeding in investigated patients was 36.23%, 43.48%, 26.09%, and 17.39%, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings, hypertension and smoking were two of the common modifiable risk factors in aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal SAH patients. Unlike non-aneurysmal SAH, aneurysmal SAH was more common in younger patients.