How To Treat A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Certain Medications

A subarachnoid hemorrhage is an emergency medical situation, as if the condition isn't treated immediately, it can lead to permanent brain damage or death. The initial treatments focus on helping stabilize the patient's condition. This might include the administration of different medications to help manage pain, or the use of general anesthesia so a patient can undergo neurosurgery. The one drug approved to treat a subarachnoid hemorrhage is nimodipine, which is a calcium channel blocker. Unlike most other medications on the market, nimodipine is specifically used for the treatment of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. When individuals experience abnormal bleeding, their body will naturally respond by narrowing the vessel in question so the flow slows. But when the blood vessel is in the brain, stopping the flow of blood does more harm than good. It deprives the brain of oxygen, leading to further brain damage. Nimodipine relaxes the narrowed blood vessels to encourage blood flow and reduce brain damage. The drug has not been approved for any other uses.

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