HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by van Gijn, J. Articles by Rinkel, G.J.E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by van Gijn, J. Articles by Rinkel, G.J.E.

Investigate the CSF in a patient with sudden headache and a normal CT brain scan

^* Professor of Neurology and
Professor of Neurology & Haemorrhagic Cerebrovascular Disease, Department of Neurology, room G03.228, University Medical Centre, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands; E-mail: *j.vangijn{at}umcutrecht.nl and g.j.e.rinkel{at}umcutrecht.nl

EXTRACT

So there you are, in the emergency department, on a night shift. You have just seen a young woman with an unremarkable past medical history who had come to hospital because of an excruciating headache. The pain had come on in seconds, or at most two minutes, about three hours beforehand, while she was clearing the kitchen. Even though the examination was normal you have ordered a CT scan, as you are well aware that it can take 6 h or more for neck stiffness to develop after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). To your surprise there is no evidence of subarachnoid blood or other abnormality on any of the CT slices; the radiology resident has the same opinion. Since you may now be feeling a little nonplussed, if only briefly, the next section is meant to help you get quickly back on your feet again.

IS THE CT SCAN REALLY NORMAL? ...

[PDF of this article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H.-J. Priebe Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage and the anaesthetist Br. J. Anaesth., July 1, 2007; 99(1): 102 - 118. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]