Introduction
A cerebral hemorrhage is not a uniform clinical picture. Much more a distinction is made between: 1. intracerebral hemorrhages are cerebral hemorrhages in the narrower sense, as they occur in brain tissue, whereas 2. extracerebral hemorrhages occur in the area of the meninges. In colloquial speech, however, both types of bleeding are summarized under the term cerebral hemorrhages.
However, since they are completely different clinical pictures with different causes, the chances of survival are not the same. There are cerebral hemorrhages with comparatively good prognoses and those that are associated with a high mortality rate.
- Intracerebral and
- Extracerebral hemorrhages.
What are the general chances of survival?
Cerebral hemorrhages are serious clinical pictures that can sometimes be fatal. Depending on the type of cerebral hemorrhage, the chances of survival vary. One example is chronic subdural hematoma, which usually affects older people after a minor trauma.
Over a period of weeks and months, it bleeds between the meninges after the injury. As a result, symptoms such as headaches and eventually paralysis and epileptic seizures develop rather slowly. (see also: Symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage) An acute subdural hematoma, on the other hand, can be associated with a mortality rate of 30 to 80%, since it is usually an acute, larger hemorrhage with accompanying brain injuries.
It is therefore obvious that it is very difficult to speak of “general chances of survival”. Apart from the bleeding, other factors such as age, the overall condition of the person affected and the origin of the bleeding also play an important role in survival. For cerebral hemorrhages in the narrower sense, namely bleeding of brain tissue (intracerebral), the general prognosis is rather poor. In the first 30 days after bleeding, 40% of patients die and 1 year after bleeding, 50% of patients have died.
Which factors have a positive influence on the chances of survival?
There are various factors that can positively influence the chances of survival in the event of a cerebral hemorrhage. These include a good general condition of the person affected. A good state of health is always an advantage and improves the chances of surviving a cerebral hemorrhage and the subsequent therapies.
A relatively small hemorrhage and only minor concomitant injuries are also advantageous for survival, since often severe concomitant injuries, for example in a car accident, have a significant influence on survival. Furthermore, rapid treatment in a specialized hospital is important for a positive influence on the chances of survival. The faster the therapy is carried out, the better the chances of survival of the affected person. Furthermore, younger people have a better chance of survival with a brain haemorrhage than older people, who usually also have a generally poorer state of health.