Clinical Research Directory

Sphenopalatine Block in Headache in Patients With Non-traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Non-traumatic SAH, linked in 85% of cases to the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, is a serious stroke affecting young people. Half of all survivors suffer cognitive impairment. The presentation is that of a sudden-onset, isolated headache. This population is exposed to headache during hospitalization, which lasts an average of 13 days. This length of hospitalization is due to the fact that these patients must be monitored during the potential vasospasm period that occurs between days 4 and 14 after SAH. The pain associated with SAH is a source of discomfort and increased morphine consumption during the ICU stay, particularly during the first 10 days. Current recommendations call for conventional pain management with a combination of tier 1, 2 and/or 3 analgesics. For headache control, opioids are widely prescribed, sometimes in high doses, with adverse effects, despite efforts to reduce their use. Maximum headache pain scores remain high, indicating inadequate pain management. This highlights the urgent need to study alternative opioid-sparing and analgesia strategies for patients with SAH.