Will increased awareness among physicians of the significance of sudden agonizing headache affect the outcome of subarachnoid hemorrhage? Coventry and Warwickshire Study: audit of subarachnoid hemorrhage (establishing historical controls), hypothesis, campaign layout, and cost estimation.

OBJECTIVE

The most common symptom associated with aneurysmal minor bleed ("warning leak") is a sudden agonizing headache. Early screening of these patients may improve the outcome of subarachnoid hemorrhage and may be highly cost-effective.

METHODS

We conducted an extensive retrospective audit of subarachnoid hemorrhage over the last 10 years in the region of Coventry and Warwickshire, England, and initiated a continuous campaign among all physicians in the region for early neurosurgical referral of patients with sudden agonizing headache.

RESULTS

Over the last 10 years the incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the region was 8.7/100 000 per year. Surgical activity was 34% and early mortality 45.2%. Functional outcome, both overall and by grade on admission, was within internationally accepted levels. Warning leak symptoms before admission were experienced by 20% of patients. These patients sought medical advice but were not referred immediately to the neurosurgical unit.

CONCLUSIONS

We have established our population as valid historical controls and outlined our campaign strategy. Lowering the clinical threshold at which patients with sudden agonizing headache are screened for aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations will undoubtedly increase diagnostic costs. However, for reasons given in the text, we estimated the cost per quality-adjusted life year gain to be 1000 pounds ($1500).