THE PROGNOSIS OF SURVIVAL FROM CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENTS

Abstract

Eighty-five patients with either cerebral infarction or intra-cerebral hematoma were studied clinically and by eeg to discover evidence which would allow the immediate prognosis for life or death. The patients fell into 3 groups: Those deeply unconscious who had 100% mortality when treated along orthodox lines, those whose consciousness was not impaired and who invariably survived; those in an intermediate state of consciousness whose outcome could not be predicted accurately on the basis of conscious level alone. Assessment of the severity of hemiplegia in this group improved the accuracy of prediction to some degree. The eeg was used to divide the last group into 2 subgroups, 1 having a high and the other a low mortality. The implications of this study are clear. Patients who are in a grave condition merit vigorous investigation and treatment; those expected to survive must not be exposed injudiciously to possibly dangerous procedures.