The WFNS standard is generally preferred over Hunt & Hess in contemporary neurosurgical literature due to its reliance on the objective GCS score.
Aneurysm Severity Probe
Input the admission consciousness score and presence of focal motor deficits to determine the Global WFNS SAH Grade.
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
When to Use
Standardized clinical assessment of patients with confirmed subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).
Predicting survival and functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale) at 6 months.
Preferred over the Hunt & Hess scale in modern academic research and registries.
Section 2
Formula & Logic
GCS-Based Logic
WFNS Grade
GCS Score
Focal Motor Deficit
I
15
Absent
II
13–14
Absent
III
13–14
Present
IV
7–12
Present or Absent
V
3–6
Present or Absent
Section 3
Pearls/Pitfalls
Isolated CN III & CN VI
Focal motor deficit in WFNS refers specifically to hemiparesis or hemiplegia. Isolated cranial nerve palsies (e.g., CN III from a PComm aneurysm) do NOT upgrade a patient from Grade II to Grade III.
Resuscitation GCS
The scale should be applied AFTER initial resuscitation (airway/breathing/fluid) but BEFORE sedation/intubation if possible, as it is meant to capture the baseline clinical status.
Section 4
Evidence Appraisal
Primary Reference
A universal subarachnoid hemorrhage scale: report of a committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies
Teasdale GM et al. • J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1988;51(11):1457
