Spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage in Africa: A scoping review

Background: The epidemiology, management, and outcome of Spontaneous Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), remain poorly understood, with the known evidence being from centre-specific studies. SAH is associated with a significant economic, social, and psychological burden. The lack of evidence limits preventive measures, patient management, and policy development. We aim to review the existing literature on the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of subarachnoid haemorrhage in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We will electronically search for studies from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, EBSCOhost, African Journal Online, and Google Scholar. Eligible studies will include studies of all designs and languages on children and adults diagnosed with aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal SAH in sub-Saharan Africa. Two reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full text, assess the quality of included studies and extract data using a data extraction form. Discussion: This review will call to attention clinicians, researchers, healthcare administrators and policymakers to the burden of subarachnoid haemorrhage in Africa and contribute to improved patient care through informing existing and new care guidelines for SAH