Hunt & Hess Scale Calculator

Hunt & Hess Scale Calculator for Neurology. The grade supports communication, not a fixed survival percentage. Contemporary AHA guidance considers clinical grades within a broader assessment: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000436

For shared guidance on choosing a tool and documenting results, read the clinical calculator workflow.

How this calculator works

Choose the clinical presentation that best fits grades I-V; this is an ordinal classification, not a sum. The category table is reproduced in the issuing nursing society guideline: https://aann.org/uploads/AANN_Aneurysmal_Subarachnoid_Hemorrhage.pdf

When to use this calculator

Describe clinical severity in aneurysmal SAH with a recorded examination time. The original paper concerned surgical risk and timing: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5635959/

Inputs used

  • Assessable aneurysmal SAH clinical context
  • Observed consciousness, headache, neck stiffness and focal-deficit category

Clinical interpretation

The grade supports communication, not a fixed survival percentage. Contemporary AHA guidance considers clinical grades within a broader assessment: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000436

Worked example

An assessable patient is drowsy and confused without stupor. The clinical category is grade III, not grade IV simply because the headache is severe.

Limitations and safety notes

Sedation, hydrocephalus and examination timing can alter classification. This widget reports the clinical presentation only and does not automatically apply the historical severe-systemic-disease/vasospasm modifier. It cannot determine treatment futility.

Frequently asked questions

Does grade V mean aneurysm treatment is prohibited?

No. A grade alone cannot determine treatment eligibility or futility; reversible factors and the full specialist assessment matter.

References

  • Hunt and Hess. Original clinical grading, 1968: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5635959/
  • AANN aneurysmal SAH guideline; clinical grade table: https://aann.org/uploads/AANN_Aneurysmal_Subarachnoid_Hemorrhage.pdf
  • AHA/ASA aneurysmal SAH guideline, 2023: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000436

Editorial review and citation methodology

Maintained by the Quick Medical Calculator Editorial Team. Content record date: September 9, 2026. A content date is not evidence of independent clinical review. Individual clinical sign-off is not recorded on this page.

  • Prefer original validation studies for scoring systems and prediction tools.
  • Use current specialty society guidance, transplant allocation policy, public health guidance, or regulator resources when they govern clinical use.
  • Include limitations and safety notes when a calculator is population-specific, context-dependent, or unsuitable as a standalone decision tool.

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