Skip to main content

Table 1 Harmonized definition of delayed cerebral ischemia and cerebral infarction

From: Management of delayed cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Delayed cerebral ischemia

Focal (hemiparesis, aphasia, hemianopia, or neglect) or global (2 points decrease on GCS) neurological impairment lasting for at least 1 hour and/or cerebral infarction, which:

 ▪ Is not apparent immediately after aneurysm occlusion

 ▪ Is attributable to ischemia

 ▪ Is not attributed to other causes (i.e. surgical complication, metabolic derangements) after appropriate clinical, imaging, and laboratory evaluation

Cerebral infarction

Presence of cerebral infarction on CT or MR scan of the brain within 6 weeks after SAH, or on the latest CT or MR scan made before death within 6 weeks, or proven at autopsy; that is:

 ▪ Not present on the CT or MR scan between 24 and 48 hours after early aneurysm occlusion

 ▪ Not attributable to other causes such as surgical clipping or endovascular treatment

 ▪ Not due to a nonischemic lucency related to a ventricular catheter, intraparenchymal hematoma, or brain retraction injury

  1. Based on references [101, 102]
  2. GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, CT computed tomography, MR magnetic resonance, SAH, subarachnoid hemorrhage