Clinical Research Directory

Superior Cervical Sympathetic Block Versus Stellate Ganglion Block in Post-traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Posttraumatic Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening neurological problem with a high mortality rate. Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is the second-leading cause of death and disability in patients suffering from SAH. DCI is strongly associated with cerebral arterial vasospasm (CAV), which reduces cerebral blood flow (CBF) and causes cerebral infarction. Various treatment modalities have been tried for the prevention and treatment of vasospasm, including oral nimodipine and isovolumic hypertension, as well as endovascular treatments such as intra-arterial drug infusion and balloon angioplasty. A few studies have demonstrated the role of stellate ganglion block (SGB) in the management of this dreaded complication. Cervical sympathetic block (CSB) may be an effective therapy but is not routinely performed to treat vasospasm/DCI. CSB is a local, minimally invasive, low cost and safe technique that can be performed at the bedside and may offer significant advantages as complementary treatment in combination with more conventional neurointerventional surgery interventions. Aim of study is evaluating the effect of superior sympathetic ganglion block versus stellate ganglion block in treating cerebral vasospasm and prevention of delayed cerebral ischemia in refractory post-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage.