Predicting outcome in poor-grade patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: a retrospective review of 159 aggressively managed cases

Long-term Neurological Outcome and Quality of Life after World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grades IV and V Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in an Interdisciplinary Treatment Concept

BACKGROUND: Detailed data on long-term functional outcome of patients with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grades IV and V aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages (aSAH) are still scarce.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of long-term outcome of WFNS IV and V aSAH patients.

METHODS: Functional outcome and quality of life were assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and the 36-item short-form health survey in consecutively treated aSAH WFNS IV and V patients between 2005 and 2010. Scores from the 36-item short-form health survey were compared to a healthy German population. Prognostic factors were analyzed by uni- and multivariate models.

RESULTS: One hundred and seven eligible patients (median age: 53.0 years) were identified. After interdisciplinary consensus on optimal treatment, aneurysms were obliterated either by clipping (n = 35) or by coiling (n = 72). Ten patients were lost to long-term follow-up; the median clinical follow-up period was 3.2 years for the remaining 97 cases. Twenty-five of 97 died during the acute hospital phase and another 10 patients over the follow-up period leaving 62 long-term survivors. At the end of clinical follow-up, 40/97 patients, including 40/62 of long-term survivors, reached functional independence (mRS ≤ 2). Twelve of 97 patients were moderately (mRS = 3), 10/97 patients were severely disabled (mRS ≥ 4). Younger age (≤ 53 years; P = .001) and radiological absence of cerebral infarction (P = .03) were the strongest predictors for favorable outcome. Quality of life was perceived to be only moderately reduced compared to the healthy control group.

CONCLUSION: Poor-grade aSAH is not necessarily associated with poor long-term functional outcome; after aneurysm repair ∼60% of patients survived and among long-term survivors ∼ 60% regained functional independence.

D-dimer may predict poor outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a retrospective study

Serum biomarkers may play a reliable role in predicting the outcomes of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. This study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between serum biomarkers on admission and outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We recruited 146 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who were treated in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University of China between 1 May 2014 and 30 March 2016. There were 57 males and 89 females included and average age of included patients was 57.03 years old. Serum samples were taken immediately on admission (within 48 hours after initial hemorrhage) and the levels of serum biomarkers were detected. Baseline information, complications, and outcomes at 6 months were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between biomarkers and clinical outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were obtained to investigate the possibility of the biomarkers predicting prognosis. Of the 146 patients, 102 patients achieved good outcomes and 44 patients had poor outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that high World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade, high serum D-dimer levels, and high neurological complications were significantly associated with poor outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves verified that D-dimer levels were associated with poor outcomes. D-dimer levels strongly correlated with neurological complications. In conclusion, we suggest that D-dimer levels are a good independent prognostic factor for poor outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Factors affecting outcome in poor grade subarachnoid haemorrhage: An institutional study

Context:

Poor grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is usually associated with unfavorable outcomes and optimal management is deemed complicated. Most centres follow an expectant management strategy or a less aggressive approach till patients improve to good clinical grades. This approach has been associated with higher mortality and morbidity. However, not all patients with poor clinical condition fare badly. Identification and early aggressive management of this select group of patients may lead to favorable outcomes.

Settings and Design:

Prospective non-randomized study.

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively analyzed 19 cases presented in WFNS grade 4 and 5 and factors affecting their outcome at a tertiary care centre in south India. This study was aimed at identifying those few poor grade patients who are probable candidates for a good outcome.

Statistical Analysis Used:

All the variables were analyzed for possible correlations with the SPSS version 13 software. The Chi-square test with a P < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results:

Of 19 cases, 13 were operated and good outcome was seen in 53.8% of the patients who underwent surgery and aggressive management. All 7 patients who were managed conservatively died. 15.8% of the patients had low density changes (P = 0.625). Absence of such changes was associated with a good long term outcome (P = 0.004). 9 patients had intraventricular hemorrhage at presentation and 5 patients having hydrocephalus underwent extra-ventricular drainage. Statistically significant factors precluding good outcome were the presence of infarcts and thick SAH in the cisterns.

Conclusions:

Poor grade (WFNS 4 and 5) SAH patients with or without ICH, IVH, if operated within 3 days can give rise to favorable outcome in around 50%. However, presence of patchy infarcts associated with thick subarachnoid blood (Fisher grade 3) precludes long term survival or meaningful recovery. Hence, aggressive management is unlikely to alter the natural history of such patients.

Variation in Patient Characteristics and Outcomes Between Early and Delayed Surgery in Poor-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus regarding the optimal timing for surgery for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively evaluate variation in patient characteristics and outcomes between early and delayed surgery groups.

METHODS

Poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was defined as a World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade of IV or V after resuscitation. Early surgery was defined as surgery performed within 72 hours of ictus, and delayed surgery was defined as surgery after 72 hours. Outcomes were assessed by modified Rankin score. The mean time of follow-up was 12.5 ± 3.4 months.

RESULTS

Of the 118 patients included in the study, 80 (68%) underwent early surgery and 38 (32%) underwent delayed surgery. Patients with brain herniation (P < .001) and a lower Fisher grade (P = .02) more often underwent early surgery. Patients in the early group more often underwent decompressive craniectomy (P < .001). Postoperative complications and length of hospital stay did not differ, and outcomes were similar between the 2 groups. Forty (34%) patients had an excellent outcome (modified Rankin score 0-1). Multivariate analysis showed a slight trend toward an excellent outcome in the early surgery group. Younger age, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade IV after resuscitation, and middle cerebral artery aneurysms were independent predictors of an excellent outcome.

CONCLUSION

Although patients with brain herniation and a lower Fisher grade were more likely to undergo early surgery, there was a slight trend toward an excellent outcome in the early surgery group. Patients with a younger age, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade IV after resuscitation, and middle cerebral artery aneurysms were more likely to experience an excellent outcome.

The change of plasma pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide levels after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

Elevated circulating pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) levels have been demonstrated to be associated with clinical outcomes of severe traumatic brain injury. The current study aimed to confirm whether elevated plasma PACAP levels are predictive of clinical outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and eighteen aSAH patients and 118 controls were recruited. Plasma PACAP concentrations were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients were followed up until death or completion of 6 months after aSAH. An unfavorable outcome was defined as Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3.

RESULTS

The admission PACAP levels were significantly elevated in all patients (296.6 ± 119.7 pg/ml) compared with controls (77.1 ± 17.9 pg/ml, P < 0.001). Plasma PACAP levels were independently associated with clinical severity indicated by World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score (t = 4.745, P < 0.001) and Fisher score (t = 4.239, P < 0.001) using a multivariate linear regression. PACAP was identified as an independent predictor for 6-month mortality [odds ratio (OR), 1.014; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.005-1.030; P < 0.001] and 6-month unfavorable outcome (OR, 1.012; 95% CI, 1.006-1.028; P < 0.001) and 6-month overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.016; 95% CI, 1.008-1.023; P < 0.001) using a binary logistic regression analysis and a Cox's proportional hazard analysis, respectively. PACAP had similar predictive values compared with WFNS score and Fisher score according to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher plasma PACAP levels are associated with clinical severity and long-term prognosis of aSAH patients, and PACAP has potential to be a good prognostic biomarker of aSAH.

The outcomes of early aneurysm repair in World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade V subarachnoid haemorrhage patients with emphasis on those presenting with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3

Grade V subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) patients may be dichotomised into those with temporary deterioration and those with irreversible injury, and only the former have a chance of favourable outcomes by aneurysm obliteration. One method of differentiating the two conditions is to wait and observe potential recovery for 12-48hours. However, early rebleeding and non-convulsive seizures may occur during this period. In our institution, grade V SAH patients receive immediate treatment (general anaesthesia induction and aneurysm obliteration within 24hours of onset) to minimise those risks. We focused on therapeutic outcomes in SAH patients presenting with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 (GCS-3). Between January 2006 and December 2013, 82 GCS-3 SAH patients were admitted, among whom 51 (62%) underwent immediate aneurysm obliteration. Their outcomes 90days after onset were evaluated with the Glasgow Outcome Scale, with either good recovery or moderate disability regarded as favourable outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables correlated with favourable outcomes. Among the 51 patients, 11 (22%) had favourable 90-day outcomes. Age (odds ratio [OR], 0.838; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.733-0.959; p=0.010) and intact pupillary light reflex (OR, 21.939; 95% CI, 1.465-328.576; p=0.025) were correlated with favourable outcomes. By contrast, neither intact respiratory pattern nor isocoric pupils was correlated with favourable outcomes. The current results indicate that vigorous intervention may be worth attempting in young GCS-3 SAH patients with intact pupillary light reflex. It remains unclear, however, whether the seemingly high frequency of favourable outcomes was truly due to reduction in early rebleeding or seizures.

Preoperative and postoperative predictors of long-term outcome after endovascular treatment of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE An increasing number of patients with poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have received endovascular treatment. Endovascular treatment of poor-grade aSAH, however, is based on single-center retrospective studies, and predictors of long-term outcome have not been well defined. Using results from a multicenter prospective registry, the authors aimed to develop preoperative and postoperative prognostic models to predict poor outcome after endovascular treatment of poor-grade aSAH. METHODS A Multicenter Poor-grade Aneurysm Study (AMPAS) was a prospective and observational registry of consecutive patients with poor-grade aSAH. From October 2010 to March 2012, 366 patients were enrolled in the registry, and 136 patients receiving endovascular treatment were included in this study. Outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 12 months, and poor outcome was defined as an mRS score of 4, 5, or 6. Prognostic models were developed in multivariate logistic regression models. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) was used to assess the model's discriminatory ability, and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests were used to assess the calibration. RESULTS At 12 months, 64 patients (47.0%) had a poor outcome: 9 (6.6%) had an mRS score of 4, 6 (4.4%) had an mRS score of 5, and 49 (36.0%) had died. Univariate analyses showed that older age (p = 0.001), female sex (p = 0.044), lower Glasgow Coma Scale score (p < 0.001), a World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade of V (p < 0.001), higher Fisher grade (p < 0.001), modified Fisher grade (p < 0.001), and wider neck aneurysm (p = 0.026) were associated with a poor outcome. There was a trend toward a worse outcome in patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysms (p = 0.080) and in those with incompletely occluded aneurysms (p = 0.063). After endovascular treatment, the presence of cerebral infarction (p = 0.039), symptomatic vasospasm (p = 0.039), and pneumonia (p = 0.006) were associated with a poor outcome. Multivariate analyses showed that the preoperative prognostic model including age, a WFNS grade of V, modified Fisher grade, and aneurysm neck size had excellent discrimination with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.80-0.92, p < 0.001), and a postoperative model that included these predictors as well as postoperative pneumonia had excellent discrimination (AUC = 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93, p < 0.001). Both models had good calibration (p = 0.941 and p = 0.653, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Older age, WFNS Grade V, higher modified Fisher grade, wider neck aneurysm, and postoperative pneumonia were independent predictors of poor outcome after endovascular treatment of poor-grade aSAH. The preoperative model had almost the same discrimination as the postoperative model. Endovascular treatment should be carefully considered in patients with poor-grade aSAH with ruptured wide-neck aneurysms. ▪ CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE Type of question: prognostic; study design: retrospective cohort trial; evidence: Class I.

Clinical outcomes of surgical clipping for intracranial aneurysms in patients with a Hunt and Hess grade 4 or 5

ABSTRACT We retrospectively evaluated the records of 49 grade 4 and 5 patients with 42 intracranial aneurysms treated within 72 h of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In total, 35 patients (71%) were grade 4, and 14 (29%) were grade 5. A total of 42 (85%) patients had one aneurysm, 6 (12%) had two aneurysms, and 1 (3%) had three aneurysms. Out of 49 patients, one technical (2%) and one clinical (2%) complication occurred at surgery. Twenty-one (43%) patients recovered well, including 7 with postoperative hematoma requiring an immediate evacuation of a clot. Fourteen (29%) patients had hydrocephalus and required a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt; 12 patients underwent tracheotomy postoperatively due to coma and pulmonary infection. We found that patients with Hunt and Hess grade 4 and 5 aneurysms can undergo successful neurosurgical clipping of the aneurysms after SAH. However, the morbidity and mortality rates remain high because of their poor clinical condition and a high incidence of vasospasm during treatment.

Ultra-early microsurgical treatment within 24 h of SAH improves prognosis of poor-grade aneurysm combined with intracerebral hematoma

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the most common cerebrovascular disease. The conventional treatment for SAH is usually associated with high mortality. The present study aims to assess the prognosis of microsurgical treatment for patients with poor-grade aneurysm (Hunt and Hess grades IV-V) associated with intracerebral hematoma. A total of 18 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with poor-grade aneurysm accompanied with intracerebral hematoma were retrospectively recruited. All patients underwent microsurgical treatment between April 2010 and June 2013 at The 101st Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army (Wuxi, China). Among them, 15 cases underwent microsurgery within 24 h of SAH, and 3 cases underwent microsurgery 24 h following SAH. All 18 cases were examined by computed tomography angiography (CTA). The outcome was assessed during a follow-up time of 6-36 months. According to the Glasgow Outcome Scale, 4 patients experienced a good recovery, 6 were dissatisfied with the outcome, 4 were in vegetative state and 4 succumbed to disease. Poor outcome occurred in patients with an aneurysm diameter >10 mm, exhibited >50 ml volume of intracerebral hematoma or presented cerebral hernia prior to the surgical operation. The outcome of ultra-early surgery (within 24 h of SAH) was improved, compared with that of surgery following 24 h of SAH (P=0.005). Among 7 patients who accepted extraventricular drainage, good outcomes were achieved in 4 of them, whereas dissatisfaction and mortality occurred in 2 and 1 patients, respectively. Therefore, ultra-early microsurgery (within 24 h of SAH) combined with extraventricular drainage may improve the prognosis of patients with poor-grade aneurysm.

Reconsidering the logic of World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grading in patients with severe subarachnoid hemorrhage

OBJECT

Current data show a favorable outcome in up to 50% of patients with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Grade V subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and a rather poor prediction of worst cases. Thus, the usefulness of the current WFNS grading system for identifying the worst scenarios for clinical studies and for making treatment decisions is limited. One reason for this lack of differentiation is the use of “negative” or “silent” diagnostic signs as part of the WFNS Grade V definition. The authors therefore reevaluated the WFNS scale by using “positive” clinical signs and the logic of the Glasgow Coma Scale as a progressive herniation score.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 182 patients with SAH who had poor grades on the WFNS scale. Patients were graded according to the original WFNS scale and additionally according to a modified classification, the WFNS herniation (hWFNS) scale (Grade IV, no clinical signs of herniation; Grade V, clinical signs of herniation). The prediction of poor outcome was compared between these two grading systems.

RESULTS

The positive predictive values of Grade V for poor outcome were 74.3% (OR 3.79, 95% CI 1.94–7.54) for WFNS Grade V and 85.7% (OR 8.27, 95% CI 3.78–19.47) for hWFNS Grade V. With respect to mortality, the positive predictive values were 68.3% (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.01–7.69) for WFNS Grade V and 77.9% (OR 6.22, 95% CI 3.07–13.14) for hWFNS Grade V.

CONCLUSIONS

Limiting WFNS Grade V to the positive clinical signs of the Glasgow Coma Scale such as flexion, extension, and pupillary abnormalities instead of including “no motor response” increases the prediction of mortality and poor outcome in patients with severe SAH.

Endovascular Coiling versus Surgical Clipping for Poor-Grade Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Postoperative Complications and Clinical Outcome in a Multicenter Poor-Grade Aneurysm Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Endovascular coiling is an alternative to surgical clipping for ruptured intracranial aneurysms. However, no large multicenter prospective study has compared coiling and clipping in patients with poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. We aimed to determine differences in postoperative complications and clinical outcome between the 2 treatments in this group of patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Multicenter Poor-Grade Aneurysm Study was a prospective, multicenter, observational registry of consecutive patients who presented with poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. Three hundred sixty-six patients were enrolled from October 2010 to March 2012. "Poor-grade aneurysm" was defined as a World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade of IV or V at the time of aneurysm treatment. Two hundred sixty-two patients received aneurysm treatment within 21 days and were included. Clinical outcomes were assessed at discharge and at 6 and 12 months by the modified Rankin Scale.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-three (50.8%) patients underwent endovascular coiling. Unadjusted analysis showed that the outcome rate (mRS 0-1 or mRS 0-2) at 6 and 12 months in patients undergoing coiling was higher than that in patients undergoing clipping. In adjusted analyses, there was no statistically significant difference in outcomes at 6 and 12 months between the 2 groups. The risk of radiologic hydrocephalus was higher in patients treated with coiling than that in those treated with clipping (adjusted OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.13-10.01; P = .030).

CONCLUSIONS

The long-term outcome in selected patients was similar between endovascular coiling and clipping for poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. The risk of radiologic hydrocephalus was higher after endovascular treatment of poor-grade aneurysms.

The simplified acute physiology score II to predict hospital mortality in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Early prediction of increased morbidity and mortality in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains crucial to improving patient management. Most prediction models lack external validation and focus on disease-specific items without considering physiological parameters and the past medical history. The aim was to assess the validity of the established Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS-II) in an aSAH cohort for the prediction of hospital mortality and to identify additional physiological and clinical predictors.

METHODS

The predictive value of SAPS-II for hospital mortality was assessed in a retrospective analysis of 263 consecutive patients with aSAH. Additional physiological and clinical parameters including the past medical history were analyzed by forward selection multivariate analysis to identify independent predictors of hospital mortality and to improve the prediction model.

RESULTS

The SAPS-II predicted hospital mortality with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.834 with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.097 [95 % confidence interval 1.067-1.128) for each additional point. Forward selection multivariate analysis identified the Glasgow Coma Scale score (P < 0.001), history of chronic headache (P = 0.01) and medication with anticoagulants (P = 0.04) as independent predictors of hospital mortality. Adding these parameters to the SAPS-II, the AUC increased to 0.86.

CONCLUSION

This study validates the predictive accuracy of SAPS-II for hospital mortality in aSAH patients. Additional parameters from the past medical history increase its predictive power. From a practical viewpoint, SAPS-II alone already represents a sufficient and powerful score to predict hospital mortality at an early time point and may help to improve patient management.

Intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure monitoring in non-TBI patients: special considerations

The effect of intracranial pressure (ICP) and the role of ICP monitoring are best studied in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, a variety of acute neurologic illnesses e.g., subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, meningitis/encephalitis, and select metabolic disorders, e.g., liver failure and malignant, brain tumors can affect ICP. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature about ICP monitoring in conditions other than TBI and to provide recommendations how the technique may be used in patient management. A PubMed search between 1980 and September 2013 identified 989 articles; 225 of which were reviewed in detail. The technique used to monitor ICP in non-TBI conditions is similar to that used in TBI; however, indications for ICP monitoring often are intertwined with the presence of obstructive hydrocephalus and hence the use of ventricular catheters is more frequent. Increased ICP can adversely affect outcome, particularly when it fails to respond to treatment. However, patients with elevated ICP can still have favorable outcomes. Although the influence of ICP-based care on outcome in non-TBI conditions appears less robust than in TBI, monitoring ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure can play a role in guiding therapy in select patients.

Current Management of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Guidelines from the Canadian Neurosurgical Society

Published medical evidence pertaining to the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was critically reviewed in order to prepare practice guidelines for this condition. SAH should be considered as a possible cause of all sudden and/or unusual headaches, and every attempt should be made to recognize mild SAHs, as they are still frequently misdiagnosed. The first test for SAH is computed tomography (CT), followed by lumbar puncture when the CT is negative for intracranial bleeding (the case in only several per cent of patients within 24 hours of aneurysm bleeding). Urgent cerebral angiography is necessary to detect the underlying cerebral aneurysm. The advantage of rapid diagnosis of SAH followed by early aneurysm repair is minimizing the risk of catastrophic aneurysm rebleeding. Early surgery for aneurysm repair is often possible and is recommended, unless the aneurysm location or size renders it technically difficult to expose in clot-laden subarachnoid cisterns beneath an acutely swollen brain. Aneurysm ablation is optimally accomplished with open microsurgery and clipping of the aneurysm neck, although other options include proximal parent artery occlusion, “trapping” of the aneurysmal segment of the artery, and embolization of thrombogenic materials (e.g., platinum “microcoils”) directly into the aneurysm dome using endovascular techniques. Neurological outcome following SAH is also optimized through the prevention of secondary SAH complications, and further management specific for ruptured cerebral aneurysms can include anticonvulsants, neuroprotectants, and various agents and techniques to prevent or reverse delayed-onset cerebral vasospasm. All patients with aneurysmal SAH should be treated with the calcium antagonist nimodipine, and in certain circumstances patients should receive anticonvulsants. Induced arterial hypertension, hypervolemia and in some instances percutaneous balloon angioplasty are recommended to reverse vasospasm causing symptomatic cerebral ischemia prior to cerebral infarction.

Complications and outcomes after early surgical treatment for poor-grade ruptured intracranial aneurysms: A multicenter retrospective cohort

INTRODUCTION

Early surgical treatment has been proposed to improve outcomes of selected patients with poor-grade ruptured intracranial aneurysms. We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis to identify complications and outcomes after early surgery.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the two cohorts of patients with poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. Poor-grade aneurysm was defined as a World Federation of Neurosurgical Society (WFNS) grade of IV or V after resuscitation. Early surgery was defined as surgery performed within 72 h after poor-grade condition.

RESULTS

Of the 144 patients who underwent surgical treatment for poor-grade aneurysm, 80 underwent early surgery and were included in this report. Forty-one (51%) patients presented with a WFNS grade of IV and 39 (49%) presented with a WFNS grade of V. Cerebral infarction occurred in 17 (21%) patients and was the most common complication except for pneumonia. No patients had a good outcome after postoperative aneurysm rebleeding. At follow-up (mean 12.6 months), 37 (46%) patients had a good outcome after early surgery. Multivariate analysis showed that a WFNS grade of V, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, brain herniation were independent predictors of poor outcome after early surgery. Patients with WFNS grade V more often had a poor outcome after postoperative cerebral infarction, rebleeding or symptomatic vasospasm.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with a WFNS grade of V, intraventricular hemorrhage, brain herniation were more likely to have a poor outcome after early surgery. Postoperative complications, including rebleeding and cerebral infraction, should be prevented and treated aggressively to maximize the chance of good outcome in poor-grade patients.

Predictive model for patients with poor-grade subarachnoid haemorrhage in 30-day observation: a 9-year cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors and build the predictive model based on poor-grade subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) population received only supportive symptomatic treatment.

DESIGN

Prospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

Intensive care unit at the Clinical Department of Neurology.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 101 patients with spontaneous SAH disqualified from neurosurgical operative treatment due to poor clinical condition. Data were collected over a 9-year period.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Unfavourable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Score ≥ 5 at 30 days of observation.

RESULTS

Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Scale score, increasing age, Fisher grade and admission leucocytosis as independent predictive factors. The proposed scale subdivides the study population into four prognostic groups with significantly different outcomes: grade I: probability of favourable outcome 89.9%; grade II: 47.5%; grade III: 4.2%; grade IV: 0%. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the prediction of outcome performed by the new scale had an area under the curve (AUC)=0.910 (excellent accuracy).

CONCLUSIONS

Unfavourable outcome in non-operated patients with poor-grade SAH is strongly predicted by traditional unmodifiable factors such as age, amount of bleeding in CT, level of consciousness as well as leucocytosis. A new predictive scale based on the above parameters seems to reliably predict the outcome and may contribute to more effective planning of therapeutic management in patients with poor-grade SAH.

Factors and outcomes associated with ultra-early surgery for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a multicentre retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine factors and outcomes associated with ultra-early surgery for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH).

DESIGN

A multicentre retrospective analysis, observational study.

SETTING

High-volume teaching hospitals (more than 150 aSAH cases per year).

PARTICIPANTS

118 patients with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grades IV and V underwent surgical treatment. Ultra-early surgery was defined as surgery performed within 24 h of aSAH, and delayed surgery as surgery performed after 24 h. Outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The mean time of follow-up was 12.5±3.4 months (range 6-28 months).

RESULTS

47 (40%) patients underwent ultra-early surgery, and 71 (60%) patients underwent delayed surgery. Patients with WFNS grade V (p=0.011) and brain herniation (p=0.004) more often underwent ultra-early surgery. Postoperative complications were similar in ultra-early and delayed surgery groups. Adjusted multivariate analysis showed the outcomes were similar between the two groups. Multivariate analysis of predictors of poor outcome, ultraearly surgery was not an independent predictor of poor outcome, while advanced age, postresuscitation WFNS V grade, intraventricular haemorrhage, brain herniation and non-middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms were associated with poor outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Although patients with WFNS grade V and brain herniation more often undergo ultra-early surgery, postoperative complications and outcomes in selected patients were similar in the two groups. Patients of younger age, WFNS grade IV, absence of intraventricular haemorrhage, absence of brain herniation and MCA aneurysms are more likely to have a good outcome. Ultra-early surgery could improve outcomes in carefully selected patients with poor-grade aSAH.

The prognostic value of plasma soluble CD40 ligand levels following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Increased circulating soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) levels have been reported to be associated with severity and mortality of severe traumatic brain injury. The current study tested the hypothesis that elevated plasma sCD40L levels are predictive of clinical outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).

METHODS

Plasma sCD40L concentrations of 120 aSAH patients and 120 healthy volunteers were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An unfavorable outcome was defined as Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3.

RESULTS

Plasma sCD40L levels were significantly elevated in aSAH patients compared with healthy controls; plasma sCD40L levels were highly associated with clinical severity reflected by World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score and Fisher score; sCD40L emerged as an independent predictor of 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome and 6-month overall survival; although a combined logistic-regression model did not demonstrate the additive benefit of sCD40L to WFNS score and Fisher score, sCD40L possessed similar predictive value to WFNS score and Fisher score based on receiver operating characteristic curves.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher plasma sCD40L levels on presentation are associated with clinical severity and have potential to be a good prognostic biomarker of aSAH.

The effect of tracheotomy on drug consumption in patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: an observational study

Background

Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) are common in intensive care units (ICU). In patients with aSAH, sedation is used as a neuroprotective measure in order to secure adequate cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Compared with the use of an endotracheal tube, a tracheotomy has the advantage of securing the airway at a much lower level of distress, and aSAH patients can often be awakened more rapidly. Little is known about the impact of tracheotomy on the consumption of sedative/analgesic and vasoactive drugs and the maintenance of CPP within defined limits in aSAH patients.

Methods

We conducted an observational study of aSAH patients who underwent percutaneous tracheotomy. A prospective registry of patient data was supplemented with retrospective retrievals from medical records. Sedative, analgesic and vasoactive drug doses were registered for 3 days prior to and after percutaneous tracheotomy, respectively. Blood pressure, CPP, and the mode of mechanical ventilation were registered 24 h prior to and after tracheotomy.

Results

Between January 2001 and June 2009, 902 aSAH patients were admitted to our hospital; 74 (8%) were deeply comatose/dying upon arrival. The ruptured aneurysm was repaired in 828 patients (surgical repair 50%) and percutaneous tracheotomy was performed 182 times in 178 patients (59 men and 119 women). This subpopulation (178 of 828 patients) was significantly older (56 vs. 53 years) and presented with a more severe Hunt & Hess grade (p < 0.001). Percutaneous tracheotomy caused a marked decline in mean daily consumption of the analgesics/sedatives fentanyl, midazolam, and propofol, as well as the vasoactive drugs noradrenaline and dopamine. These declines were statistically and clinically significant. The mean CPP was 76 mmHg (SD 8.6) the day before and 79 mmHg (SD 9.6) 24 h after percutaneous tracheotomy. After percutaneous tracheotomy, mechanical ventilatory support could be reduced to a patient-controlled ventilatory support mode in a significant number of patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Percutaneous tracheotomy in aSAH patients is a swift procedure with low risk that is associated with a significant decline in the consumption of sedative/analgesic and vasoactive drugs while clinical surveillance parameters remain stable or improve.

Prognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: pooled analyses of individual patient data in the SAHIT repository

OBJECT

The literature has conflicting reports about the prognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in the SAH International Trialists repository.

METHODS

Patient-level meta-analyses were conducted to investigate univariate associations between premorbid hypertension (6 studies; n = 7249), admission neurological status measured on the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) scale (10 studies; n = 10,869), and 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score. Multivariable analyses were performed to sequentially adjust for the effects of age, CT clot burden, aneurysm location, aneurysm size, and modality of aneurysm repair. Prognostic associations were estimated across the ordered categories of the GOS using proportional odds models. Nagelkerke's R(2) statistic was used to quantify the added prognostic value of hypertension and neurological status beyond those of the adjustment factors.

RESULTS

Premorbid hypertension was independently associated with poor outcome, with an unadjusted pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50-2.00) and an adjusted OR of 1.38 (95% CI 1.25-1.53). Patients with a premorbid history of hypertension had higher rates of cardiovascular and renal comorbidities, poorer neurological status (p ≤ 0.001), and higher odds of neurological complications including cerebral infarctions, hydrocephalus, rebleeding, and delayed ischemic neurological deficits. Worsening neurological status was strongly independently associated with poor outcome, including WFNS Grades II (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.68-2.03), III (OR 3.85, 95% CI 3.32-4.47), IV (OR 5.58, 95% CI 4.91-6.35), and V (OR 14.18, 95% CI 12.20-16.49). Neurological status had substantial added predictive value greater than the combined value of other prognostic factors (R(2) increase > 10%), while the added predictive value of hypertension was marginal (R(2) increase < 0.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirmed the strong prognostic effect of neurological status as measured on the WFNS scale and the independent but weak prognostic effect of premorbid hypertension. The effect of premorbid hypertension could involve multifactorial mechanisms, including an increase in the severity of initial bleeding, the rate of comorbid events, and neurological complications.

Identification of plasma adrenomedullin as a possible prognostic biomarker for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Increased plasma adrenomedullin levels have been reported in critically ill patients. This study tested the hypothesis that plasma adrenomedullin levels are significantly increased in patients with acute spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and are predictive of clinical outcomes. Plasma adrenomedullin levels from 120 adult patients with spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and 120 healthy volunteers during the study period were evaluated. Mortality and poor long-term outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3) at 6 months were recorded. Data showed that circulating plasma adrenomedullin levels significantly increased in patients on admission compared with the volunteers. In patients who died or had poor outcome at 6 months, plasma adrenomedullin levels were significantly higher compared with survivors and patients with good outcome. Plasma adrenomedullin levels on presentation were highly associated with clinical severity assessed using World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score and Fisher score, emerged as the independent risk factor of 6-month mortality and poor outcome, and possessed similar predictive value to World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score and Fisher score based on receiver operating characteristic curves. A combined logistic-regression model did not demonstrate the additive benefit of adrenomedullin to World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score and Fisher score. Thus, higher plasma adrenomedullin levels on presentation are associated with clinical severity and worse outcomes in patients with acute spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Response of brain oxygen to therapy correlates with long-term outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Brain oxygen (PbtO2) monitoring can help guide care of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. The relationship between PbtO2-directed therapy and long-term outcome is unclear. We hypothesized that responsiveness to PbtO2-directed interventions is associated with outcome.

METHODS

Seventy-six aSAH patients who underwent PbtO2 monitoring were included. Long-term outcome [Glasgow Outcome Score-Extended (GOS-E) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS)] was ascertained using the social security death database and structured telephone interviews. Univariate and multivariate regression were used to identify variables that correlated with outcome.

RESULTS

Data from 64 patients were analyzed (12 were lost to follow-up). There were 530 episodes of compromised PbtO2 (<20 mmHg) during a total of 7,174 h of monitor time treated with 1,052 interventions. Forty-two patients (66 %) survived to discharge. Median follow-up was 8.5 months (range 0.1-87). At most recent follow-up 35 (55 %) patients were alive, and 28 (44 %) had a favorable outcome (mRS ≤3). In multivariate ordinal regression analysis, only age and response to PbtO2-directed intervention correlated significantly with outcome. Increased age was associated with worse outcome (coeff. 0.8, 95 % CI 0.3-1.3, p = 0.003), and response to PbtO2-directed intervention was associated with improved outcome (coeff. -2.12, 95 % CI -4.0 to -0.26, p = 0.03). Patients with favorable outcomes had a 70 % mean rate of response to PbtO2-directed interventions whereas patients with poor outcomes had a 45 % response rate (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Response to PbtO2-directed intervention is associated with improved long-term functional outcome in aSAH patients.

Circulating levels of neuropeptide proenkephalin A predict outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

High plasma proenkephalin A level has been associated with ischemic stroke severity and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to assess the relationship between proenkephalin A and disease severity as well as to investigate its ability to predict long-term clinical outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Plasma proenkephalin A concentrations of one hundred and eighty patients and 180 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were measured by chemoluminescence sandwich immunoassay. Plasma proenkephalin A level was substantially higher in patients than in healthy controls (205.5±41.6 pmol/L vs. 90.8±21.1 pmol/L, P<0.001), was highly associated with World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score (r=0.470, P<0.001) and Fisher score (r=0.488, P<0.001), was an independent predictor for 6-month mortality [odds ratio (OR), 1.183; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.067-1.339; P=0.004] and unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3) (OR, 1.119; 95% CI, 1.046-1.332; P=0.005) using multivariate analysis, and had high area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for prediction of 6-month mortality (AUC, 0.831; 95% CI, 0.768-0.883) and unfavorable outcome (AUC, 0.821; 95% CI, 0.757-0.874). The predictive value of the plasma proenkephalin A concentration was also similar to those of WFNS score and Fisher score (both P>0.05). In a combined logistic-regression model, proenkephalin A improved the AUCs of WFNS score and Fisher score, but the differences were not significant (both P>0.05). Thus, proenkephalin A level may be a useful, complementary tool to predict mortality and functional outcome at 6 months after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A Multicenter prospective study of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (AMPAS): observational registry study

Background

Poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with very high mortality and morbidity. Our limited knowledge on predictors of long-term outcome in poor-grade patients with aSAH definitively managed comes from retrospective and prospective studies of small case series of patients in single center. The purpose of the AMPAS is to determine the long-term outcomes in poor-grade patients with different managements within different time after aSAH, and identify the independent predictors of the outcome that help guide the decision on definitive management.

Methods/design

The AMPAS study is a prospective, multicenter, observational registry of consecutive hospitalized patients with poor grade aSAH (WFNS grade IV and V). The aim is to enroll at least 226 poor-grade patients in 11 high-volume medical centers (eg, >150 aSAH cases per year) affiliated to different universities in China. This study will describe poor grade patients and aneurysm characteristics, treatment strategies (modality and time of definitive management), hospitalization complications and outcomes evolve over time. The definitive management is ruptured aneurysm treatment. Outcomes at 3, 6, 12 months after the management were measured using the Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Modified Rankin Scale.

Discussion

The AMPAS is the first prospective, multicenter, observational registry of poor grade aSAH with any management. This study will contribute to a better understanding of significant predictors of outcome in poor grade patients and help guide future treatment of the worst patients after aSAH.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TNRC-10001041.

Plasma visfatin, a possible prognostic marker in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Visfatin is linked to inflammation and associated with clinical outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage. This study was designed to investigate whether visfatin might serve as a marker of severity and prognosis in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. In this study, plasma visfatin levels of 172 consecutive patients and 172 sex and age-matched healthy subjects were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The recorded clinical outcomes included in-hospital mortality and 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3). Plasma visfatin level was substantially higher in patients than in healthy controls (92.1 ± 20.5 ng/mL vs. 12.4 ± 3.2 ng/mL; P<0.001), was significantly associated with the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score (r=0.569, P<0.001) and Fisher score (r=0.657, P<0.001), was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality [odds ratio (OR), 1.378; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.036-1.866; P=0.002] and 6-month mortality (OR, 1.261; 95% CI, 1.018-1.745; P=0.004) and unfavorable outcome (OR, 1.207; 95% CI, 1.012-1.682; P=0.008) in multivariate logistic regression analysis and had high predictive value for in-hospital mortality [area under curve (AUC), 0.849; 95% CI, 0.787-0.899; P<0.001] and 6-month mortality (AUC, 0.868; 95% CI, 0.808-0.915; P<0.001) and unfavorable outcome (AUC, 0.859; 95% CI, 0.797-0.907; P<0.001) using receiver operating characteristic curves. AUCs of visfatin were similar to those of WFNS score and Fisher score (all P>0.05), but visfatin did not improve the predictive values of WFNS score and Fisher score (all P>0.05). Thus, visfatin may be associated with clinical severity of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and also have prognostic value for clinical outcomes.

Leptin as a marker for severity and prognosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Leptin has been identified as a plasma marker for outcomes in traumatic brain injury and intracerebral hemorrhage. We further investigated whether leptin might serve as a marker for severity and prognosis in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. One hundred and eight consecutive patients and 108 sex and age - matched healthy subjects were recruited. Plasma leptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical severity was assessed using World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score and Fisher score. Mortality and poor long-term outcome (Glasgow outcome scale scores of 1-3) at 6 months were recorded. Plasma leptin levels on admission were substantially higher in patients than in healthy controls, and were significantly associated with the clinical severity. There was also a significant association between leptin levels and clinical outcomes at 6 months in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, we calculated areas under the curve for clinical outcomes at 6 months. The predictive performance of leptin was similar to, but did not obviously improve those of World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score and Fisher score. Thus, leptin may indicate clinical severity of the initial bleeding and also have prognostic value for clinical outcomes in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and may therefore help in guiding treatment decisions in the setting of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Intraventricular tissue plasminogen activator for the prevention of vasospasm and hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

The sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) include vasospasm and hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether intraventricular tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) results in less vasospasm, fewer angioplasties, or fewer cerebrospinal fluid shunting procedures.

METHODS

41 patients (tPA group, Hunt and Hess 3, 4, 5) from 2007 to 2008 received intraventricular tPA and lumbar drainage for a minimum of 5 days (range 5-7 days) and were compared to a matched group of 35 patients from 2006 to 2007 (Control, HH 3, 4, 5). Statistical comparison was done by t test analysis or Fisher exact tests and data are expressed as average+/-standard error of the mean.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in demographic data, although the tPA group had a trend toward more surgical patients. The tPA group of patients had a significantly higher modified Fisher grade than controls (P<.001) and had a significantly better Hunt and Hess grade than controls (P<.03). The angioplasty rate was significantly lower among the tPA patients (15.0%+/-5.6) than controls (40.0%+/-8.5, P=.019). The number of days spent in severe vasospasm normalized over the 14-day monitoring period by transcranial Doppler was significantly lower in the tPA group (0.09+/-0.02) than controls (0.17+/-0.03). The shunt rate was significantly lower among tPA patients (17.5%+/-6.0) than controls (42.8%+/-8.6). There were 2 clinically silent tract hemorrhages in the tPA group (4.8%).

CONCLUSION

Intraventricular tPA is a safe and effective treatment for reducing both angioplasty and shunting rates in patients with SAH H&H Grades 3 to 5. A randomized trial is indicated.

Clinical prediction models for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Clinical prediction models can enhance clinical decision-making and research. However, available prediction models in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) are rarely used. We evaluated the methodological validity of SAH prediction models and the relevance of the main predictors to identify potentially reliable models and to guide future attempts at model development.

METHODS

We searched the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases from January 1995 to June 2012 to identify studies that reported clinical prediction models for mortality and functional outcome in aSAH. Validated methods were used to minimize bias.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were identified; 3 developed models from datasets of phase 3 clinical trials, the others from single hospital records. The median patient sample size was 340 (interquartile range 149-733). The main predictors used were age (n = 8), Fisher grade (n = 6), World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grade (n = 5), aneurysm size (n = 5), and Hunt and Hess grade (n = 3). Age was consistently dichotomized. Potential predictors were prescreened by univariate analysis in 36 % of studies. Only one study was penalized for model optimism. Details about model development were often insufficiently described and no published studies provided external validation.

CONCLUSIONS

While clinical prediction models for aSAH use a few simple predictors, there are substantial methodological problems with the models and none have had external validation. This precludes the use of existing models for clinical or research purposes. We recommend further studies to develop and validate reliable clinical prediction models for aSAH.

Review and recommendations on management of refractory raised intracranial pressure in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Intracranial hypertension is commonly encountered in poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. Refractory raised intracranial pressure is associated with poor prognosis. The management of raised intracranial pressure is commonly referenced to experiences in traumatic brain injury. However, pathophysiologically, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is different from traumatic brain injury. Currently, there is a paucity of consensus on the management of refractory raised intracranial pressure in spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. We discuss in this paper the role of hyperosmolar agents, hypothermia, barbiturates, and decompressive craniectomy in managing raised intracranial pressure refractory to first-line treatment, in which preliminary data supported the use of hypertonic saline and secondary decompressive craniectomy. Future clinical trials should be carried out to delineate better their roles in management of raised intracranial pressure in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

Comparison of microsurgery and endovascular treatment on clinical outcome following poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage

Poor-grade (World Federation of Neurological Surgeons [WFNS] clinical grading scale grades IV and V) subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, the correlation between the timing, modality of intervention (clipping or coiling) and the clinical outcome is not clear. This study aims to examine this correlation. Patients presenting with WFNS grades IV and V aneurysmal SAH between 1997 and 2008 to a single centre were studied. An aggressive policy of early intervention was followed, and the selection of endovascular versus microsurgical intervention was made according to angiographic rather than clinical features. Clinical outcomes were graded using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 6 month follow-up. One hundred and forty-three poor-grade patients (23.9% of all 598 aneurysmal SAH patients) were studied. Treatment was microsurgical in 83 (58.0%) and endovascular in 60 (42%) patients. Twenty patients (14.0%) were lost to follow-up. Good outcome (mRS 0-2) at 6 months was found in 45 microsurgical patients (63.3%) and 24 endovascular patients (46.1%). This trend towards better clinical outcomes in the microsurgical group was not statistically significant. With an aggressive early treatment policy more than half of the poor-grade SAH patients demonstrated a good clinical outcome. Microsurgery and endovascular treatment, when selected primarily according to angiographic features, were equally likely to achieve good outcome.

Distal middle cerebral artery aneurysm: A proposition of microsurgical management

OBJECTIVES

Based on a cohort of patients treated on distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm by microsurgical approach, the objectives were to assess the following: the postoperative functional outcome, study the causes of early neurological deterioration and to determine the predictive factors of favourable outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From a neurovascular prospective database, this retrospective longitudinal study included all the patients treated for cerebral aneurysm located on the distal segment of the MCA over two decades (January 1990-December 2011). The patients were all treated by microsurgical clipping exclusion. Any aneurysm was associated to infectious angiopathy. Data were retrieved from the patient's medical charts. The outcome was analysed twice: during the immediate postoperative period and at 6 months according to the modified Rankin scale. The relative risk was estimated for each variable and the prognostic factors were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model (P<0.05).

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients, mean age 40±13.3 years (median: 43 years; range 6-70 years) were divided into the ruptured group (n=20) and unruptured group (n=8). In the ruptured group, the initial clinical status was good (WFNS I-III) in 12 patients (60%) and poor in eight (40%) with an intracerebral haematoma (ICH) in 11 (55%). For both groups, the aneurysm location on the distal MCA decreased at a rate from 64.8% of the insular segment to 25% of the opercular then 10.7% to the cortical. During the hospital stay, neurological deterioration occurred in 16 patients (57.2%). The diagnosed causes were cerebral ischaemia in 10 (35.6%), initial ICH in three (10.7%), hydrocephalus in two (7.1%) and epilepsy in one (7.1%). At 6 months, a favourable outcome (mRS 0-2) was observed in 19 patients (68.1%), a definitive morbidity in seven (24.9%) and death in two (7.2%). Based on the prognostic factors, only the absence of immediate postoperative neurological deterioration was identified as significant for a favourable outcome.

CONCLUSION

These rare cerebral aneurysms resulted in a high proportion of poor initial status related to a frequent ICH. Cerebral ischaemia was a major cause of the immediate neurological deterioration and the absence of immediate neurological deterioration was the single identified prognostic factor.

Time course of recovery following poor-grade SAH: the incidence of delayed improvement and implications for SAH outcome study design

OBJECT

Data regarding the time course of recovery after poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is lacking. Most SAH studies assess outcome at a single time point, often as early as 3 or 6 months following SAH. The authors hypothesized that recovery following poor-grade SAH is a dynamic process and that early outcomes may not always approximate long-term outcomes. To test this hypothesis, they analyzed long-term outcome data from a cohort of patients with poor-grade aneurysmal SAH to determine the incidence and predictors of early and delayed neurological improvement.

METHODS

The authors reviewed outcome data from 88 poor-grade SAH patients enrolled in a prospective SAH treatment trial (the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial). They assessed modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge, 6 months, 12 months, and 36 months after treatment to determine the incidence and predictors of neurological improvement during each interval.

RESULTS

The mean aggregate mRS scores at 6 months (3.31 ± 2.1), 12 months (3.28 ± 2.2), and 36 months (3.17 ± 2.3) improved significantly compared with the mean score at hospital discharge (4.33 ± 1.3, p < 0.001), but they did not differ significantly among themselves. Between discharge and 6 months, 61% of patients improved on the mRS. The incidence of improvement between 6-12 months and 12-36 months was 18% and 19%, respectively. Hunt and Hess Grade IV versus V (OR 6.20, 95% CI 2.11-18.25, p < 0.001) and the absence of large (> 4 cm) (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.02-7.55, p = 0.05) or eloquent (OR 5.17, 95% CI 1.89-14.10, p < 0.01) stroke were associated with improvement up to 6 months. Age ≤ 65 years (OR 5.56, 95% CI 1.17-26.42, p = 0.02), Hunt and Hess Grade IV versus V (OR 4.17, 95% CI 1.10-15.85, p = 0.03), and absence of a large (OR 8.97, 95% CI 2.65-30.40, p < 0.001) or eloquent (OR 4.54, 95% CI 1.46-14.08, p = 0.01) stroke were associated with improvement beyond 6 months. Improvement beyond 1 year was most strongly predicted by the absence of a large stroke (OR 7.62, 95% CI 1.55-37.30, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial minority of poor-grade SAH patients will experience delayed recovery beyond the point at which most studies assess outcome. Younger patients, those presenting in better clinical condition, and those without CT evidence of large or eloquent stroke demonstrated the highest capacity for delayed recovery.

Subarachnoid haemorrhage WFNS grade V: is maximal treatment worthwhile?

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) WFNS grade V is commonly known to be associated with high mortality and a very poor prognosis for survivors. Therefore, maximal invasive therapy is frequently delayed until any spontaneous improvement with or without an external ventricular drainage occurs. The aim of the study was to verify possible predictive factors and the probability of a favourable outcome in maximally treated patients.

METHODS

One hundred and thirty-eight consecutive patients with WFNS grade V SAH were admitted between 03/2006 and 12/2010. Thirty-five patients died before aggressive therapy could proceed. One hundred and three patients received maximal treatment and were retrospectively evaluated. The outcome was assessed at discharge and in the follow-up with the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were performed to find predictors for an unfavourable outcome.

RESULTS

Despite treatment, early mortality was 30 % (n = 31). At discharge, the rate of both vegetative and severely disabled patients was 27 % (n = 28). Favourable outcome at discharge was observed in 16 % (n = 16) of cases, whereas in the follow-up it rose to 26 % (n = 27). Multivariate full model regression identified intraventricular haematoma (IVH) and increasing age as independently predictive for poor outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite treatment, initial mortality and severe disability remain high. Nevertheless, a favourable outcome was achieved in 26 % of aggressively treated patients, rendering the withdrawal of maximal therapy for WFNS grade V SAH patients unacceptable today. In cases of old patients with IVH, the indication for aggressive therapy should be put in place more carefully due to a very poor prognosis.

Update on the management of subarachnoid hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating cerebrovascular disease. Outcome after SAH is mainly determined by the initial severity of the hemorrhage. Neuroimaging, in particular computed tomography, and aneurysm repair techniques, such as coiling and clipping, as well as neurocritical care management, have improved during the last few years. The management of a patient with SAH should have an interdisciplinary approach with case discussions between the neurointensivist, interventionalist and the neurosurgeon. The patient should be treated in a specialized neurointensive care unit of a center with sufficient SAH case volume. Poor-grade patients can be observed for complications and delayed cerebral ischemia through continuous monitoring techniques in addition to transcranial Doppler ultrasonography such as continuous electroencephalography, brain tissue oxygenation, cerebral metabolism, cerebral blood flow and serial vascular imaging. Neurocritical care should focus on neuromonitoring for delayed cerebral ischemia, management of hydrocephalus, seizures and intracranial hypertension, as well as of medical complications such as hyperglycemia, fever and anemia.

Copeptin as a marker for severity and prognosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Grading of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is often confounded by seizure, hydrocephalus or sedation and the prediction of prognosis remains difficult. Recently, copeptin has been identified as a serum marker for outcomes in acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We investigated whether copeptin might serve as a marker for severity and prognosis in aSAH.

METHODS

Eighteen consecutive patients with aSAH had plasma copeptin levels measured with a validated chemiluminescence sandwich immunoassay. The primary endpoint was the association of copeptin levels at admission with the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grade score after resuscitation. Levels of copeptin were compared across clinical and radiological scores as well as between patients with ICH, intraventricular hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, vasospasm and ischemia.

RESULTS

Copeptin levels were significantly associated with the severity of aSAH measured by WFNS grade (P = 0.006), the amount of subarachnoid blood (P = 0.03) and the occurrence of ICH (P = 0.02). There was also a trend between copeptin levels and functional clinical outcome at 6-months (P = 0.054). No other clinical outcomes showed any statistically significant association.

CONCLUSIONS

Copeptin may indicate clinical severity of the initial bleeding and may therefore help in guiding treatment decisions in the setting of aSAH. These initial results show that copeptin might also have prognostic value for clinical outcome in aSAH.

SAHIT Investigators--on the outcome of some subarachnoid hemorrhage clinical trials

Outcome of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has improved over the last decades. Yet, case fatality remains nearly 40% and survivors often have permanent neurological, cognitive and/or behavioural sequelae. Other than nimodipine drug or clinical trials have not consistently improved outcome. We formed a collaboration of SAH investigators to create a resource for prognostic analysis and for studies aimed at optimizing the design and analysis of phase 3 trials in aneurysmal SAH. We identified investigators with data from randomized, clinical trials of patients with aneurysmal SAH or prospectively collected single- or multicentre databases of aneurysmal SAH patients. Data are being collected and proposals to use the data and to design future phase 3 clinical trials are being discussed. This paper reviews some issues discussed at the first meeting of the SAH international trialists (SAHIT) repository meeting. Investigators contributed or have agreed to contribute data from several phase 3 trials including the tirilazad trials, intraoperative hypothermia for aneurysmal SAH trial, nicardipine clinical trials, international subarachnoid aneurysm trial, intravenous magnesium sulphate for aneurysmal SAH, magnesium for aneurysmal SAH and from prospectively-collected data from four institutions. The number of patients should reach 15,000. Some industry investigators refused to provide data and others reported that their institutional research ethics boards would not permit even deidentified or anonymized data to be included. Others reported conflict of interest that prevented them from submitting data. The problems with merging data were related to lack of common definitions and coding of variables, differences in outcome scales used, and times of assessment. Some questions for investigation that arose are discussed. SAHIT demonstrates the possibility of SAH investigators to contribute data for collaborative research. The problems are similar to those already documented in other similar collaborative efforts such as in head injury research. We encourage clinical trial and registry investigators to contact us and participate in SAHIT. Key issues moving forward will be to use common definitions (common data elements), outcomes analysis, and to prioritize research questions, among others.

Age limit for surgical treatment of poor-grade patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: A project of the Chugoku-Shikoku division of the Japan neurosurgical society

Objective:

Management of elderly patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is an age-dependent difference in the outcome of poor-grade SAH after surgical obliteration of the aneurysm.

Methods:

Data were reviewed retrospectively for 156 patients with poor-grade aneurysmal SAH at multiple centers in Chugoku and Shikoku, Japan. Patients were divided into age groups of 65-74 and ≥75 years old. Factors influencing a favorable outcome at discharge (Glasgow Outcome Scale, good recovery or moderately disabled) were determined using multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results:

A favorable outcome at discharge was achieved in 37 of the 156 patients (23.7%). Advanced age (≥75 years old, P < 0.01), improvement of World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Grade after admission (P = 0.02), Fisher grade (P < 0.001), and a low density area (LDA) associated with vasospasm on computed tomography (CT) (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with outcome. Multivariate analysis identified advanced age (≥75 years old, P = 0.01), Fisher group 4 (P = 0.002), and a new LDA associated with vasospasm on CT (P = 0.007) as predictors of a poor outcome in elderly patients with poor-grade SAH after surgical obliteration of the aneurysm. WFNS Grade V at admission (P = 0.052) was weakly associated with a poor outcome.

Conclusions:

Advanced age (≥75 years old), Fisher group 4, and LDA associated with vasospasm on CT were independent predictors of clinical outcome in elderly patients with poor-grade SAH. A favorable outcome in these patients occurred more frequently after Guglielmi detachable coil embolization than after surgical clipping, but without a significant difference.

Timing of clinical grade assessment and poor outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Object

Timing of clinical grading has not been fully studied in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The primary objective of this study was to identify at which time point clinical assessment using the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grading scale and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is most predictive of poor functional outcome.

Methods

This study is a retrospective cohort study on the association between poor outcome and clinical grading determined at presentation, nadir, and postresuscitation. Poor functional outcome was defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1–3 at 6 months after SAH.

Results

The authors identified 186 consecutive patients admitted to a teaching hospital between January 2002 and June 2008. The patients' mean age (± SD) was 56.9 ± 13.7 years, and 63% were women. Twenty-four percent had poor functional outcome (the mortality rate was 17%). On univariable logistic regression analyses, GCS score determined at presentation (OR 0.80, p < 0.0001), nadir (OR 0.73, p < 0.0001), and postresuscitation (OR 0.53, p < 0.0001); modified Fisher scale (OR 2.21, p = 0.0013); WFNS grade assessed at presentation (OR 1.92, p < 0.0001), nadir (OR 3.51, < 0.0001), and postresuscitation (OR 3.91, p < 0.0001); intracerebral hematoma on initial CT (OR 4.55, p < 0.0002); acute hydrocephalus (OR 2.29, p = 0.0375); and cerebral infarction (OR 4.84, p < 0.0001) were associated with poor outcome. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, only cerebral infarction (OR 5.80, p = 0.0013) and WFNS grade postresuscitation (OR 3.43, p < 0.0001) were associated with poor outcome. Receiver operating characteristic/area under the curve (AUC) analysis demonstrated that WFNS grade determined postresuscitation had a stronger association with poor outcome (AUC 0.90) than WFNS grade assessed upon admission or at nadir.

Conclusions

Timing of WFNS grade assessment affects its prognostic value. Outcome after aneurysmal SAH is best predicted by assessing WFNS grade after neurological resuscitation.

Blood pressure control for acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Acute stroke, including the subtypes of ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), typically involves significant fluctuations in blood pressure (BP). Treatment of BP after all stroke types is controversial. In each case, there are theoretical dangers to leaving BP alone as well as altering it artificially. In this article, we review the role of BP in each stroke subtype and the existing evidence for BP optimization.

RECENT FINDINGS

Except in patients receiving thrombolytic therapy, there is insufficient evidence to recommend active BP management in ischemic stroke. In ICH, the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage (ATACH) trial and Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT) have demonstrated that systolic BP reduction to 140  mmHg is well tolerated and associated with attenuation of hematoma expansion. The impact of BP reduction on outcomes is being evaluated in the ongoing phase III ATACH II and INTERACT 2 trials. No evidence exists to recommend definitive BP management strategies in acute SAH, although hypertension should likely be avoided before an aneurysm is secured, and hypotension should be avoided altogether.

SUMMARY

Evidence for BP management in acute stroke is limited, although large randomized trials are currently in progress for both ischemic stroke and ICH. BP management in SAH remains woefully understudied.

The importance of early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a medical emergency that accounts for 5% of all stroke cases. Individuals affected are typically in the prime of their lives (mean age 50 years). Approximately 12% of patients die before receiving medical attention, 33% within 48 h and 50% within 30 days of aSAH. Of the survivors 50% suffer from permanent disability with an estimated lifetime cost more than double that of an ischemic stroke. Traditionally, spasm that develops in large cerebral arteries 3-7 days after aneurysm rupture is considered the most important determinant of brain injury and outcome after aSAH. However, recent studies show that prevention of delayed vasospasm does not improve outcome in aSAH patients. This finding has finally brought in focus the influence of early brain injury on outcome of aSAH. A substantial amount of evidence indicates that brain injury begins at the aneurysm rupture, evolves with time and plays an important role in patients' outcome. In this manuscript we review early brain injury after aSAH. Due to the early nature, most of the information on this injury comes from animals and few only from autopsy of patients who died within days after aSAH. Consequently, we began with a review of animal models of early brain injury, next we review the mechanisms of brain injury according to the sequence of their temporal appearance and finally we discuss the failure of clinical translation of therapies successful in animal models of aSAH.