IV-A. Regulated Bed Rest

Three weeks of regulated bed rest was one of four treatments evaluated in the Cooperative Aneurysm Study. A total of 187 patients with a recently ruptured intracranial aneurysm had subarachnoid hemorrhage confirmed by lumbar puncture. A group of 124 patients were assigned to treatment within 7 days after the bleed, 49 between 8 and 21 days, and 14 between 22 days and 92 days. During the mean follow-up interval of 6.5 years, mortality was 55.1%. A proved rebleed was the cause of death in 34.2%, progressive deterioration from aneurysm rupture in 8.0%, and a suspected rebleed in 4.8%. A total of 47.1% died of causes related directly to the cerebral effects of the ruptured aneurysm.