Acute Headache Management for Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An International Survey of Health Care Providers

BACKGROUND

Severe headaches are common after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Guidelines recommend treatment with acetaminophen and opioids, but patient data show that headaches often persist despite multimodal treatment approaches. Considering an overall slim body of data for a common complaint affecting patients with SAH during their intensive care stay, we set out to assess practice patterns in headache management among clinicians who treat patients with SAH.

METHODS

We conducted an international cross-sectional study through a 37-question Web-based survey distributed to members of five professional societies relevant to intensive and neurocritical care from November 2021 to January 2022. Responses were characterized through descriptive analyses. Fisher's exact test was used to test associations.

RESULTS

Of 516 respondents, 329 of 497 (66%) were from North America and 121 of 497 (24%) from Europe. Of 435 respondents, 379 (87%) reported headache as a major management concern for patients with SAH. Intensive care teams were primarily responsible for analgesia during hospitalization (249 of 435, 57%), whereas responsibility shifted to neurosurgery at discharge (233 of 501, 47%). Most used medications were acetaminophen (90%), opioids (66%), corticosteroids (28%), and antiseizure medications (28%). Opioids or medication combinations including opioids were most frequently perceived as most effective by 169 of 433 respondents (39%, predominantly intensivists), followed by corticosteroids or combinations with corticosteroids (96 of 433, 22%, predominantly neurologists). Of medications prescribed at discharge, acetaminophen was most common (303 of 381, 80%), followed by opioids (175 of 381, 46%) and antiseizure medications (173 of 381, 45%). Opioids during hospitalization were significantly more prescribed by intensivists, by providers managing higher numbers of patients with SAH, and in Europe. At discharge, opioids were more frequently prescribed in North America. Of 435 respondents, 299 (69%) indicated no change in prescription practice of opioids with the opioid crisis. Additional differences in prescription patterns between continents and providers and while inpatient versus at discharge were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Post-SAH headache in the intensive care setting is a major clinical concern. Analgesia heavily relies on opioids both in use and in perception of efficacy, with no reported change in prescription patterns for opioids for most providers despite the significant drawbacks of opioids. Responsibility for analgesia shifts between hospitalization and discharge. International and provider-related differences are evident. Novel treatment strategies and alignment of prescription between providers are urgently needed.

Frequency, risk and predictors of type 2 myocardial infarction hospitalizations in young obese patients: A nationwide population-based analysis in the United States

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Obesity in the young population is emerging as a challenging health concern. Though there is a rising prevalence of obesity and its potential association with demand ischemia-related myocardial infarction, data remains non-existent to evaluate the association of obesity or higher body mass index (BMI) with type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI). We aim to identify the frequency, risk and predictors of T2MI in young hospitalized obese patients compared to non-obese patients in this population-based study.

Methods

We used National Inpatient Sample (2018, ICD-10 codes) to identify T2MI in young (18-44 years) hospitalized patients. Obesity was identified from comorbidities or using diagnostic codes for BMI>30 kg/m2. We performed multivariable regression analysis for the primary outcome of odds of T2MI in young obese patients compared to non-obese patients. The frequency of T2MI was compared between obese vs non-obese patients in overall and subgroup populations. Sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities in T2MI-obese vs. T2MI-non-obese cohorts were also compared. A p<0.05 was considered a threshold for statistical significance.

Results

Out of 1,268,255 young hospitalized patients with obesity, 555 had T2MI. T2MI was significantly higher in young obese than non-obese (44 T2MI/100000 hospitalizations in young obese patients vs. 17 T2MI/100000 hospitalizations in young non-obese patients, overall 0.04% in obese vs. 0.02% in non-obese, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed higher odds of T2MI in obese than nonobese when adjusted for demographics (aOR 2.65, 95% CI:2.42-2.90, p<0.001) and social demographics with comorbidities (aOR 1.60, 95% CI:1.24-2.07, p<0.001). In young obese, higher risk was found with advancing age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.11, p=0.001), in males than females (aOR 2.70, p<0.001), and blacks (aOR 2.22, p=0.011) and Native Americans (OR 3.91, 95% CI: 1.13-13.49, p=0.011) vs whites. Comorbidities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 1.86), chronic kidney disease (CKD, OR 2.36), rheumatoid arthritis/collagen vascular disease (RA/CVD, OR 3.04) Iin young obese patients independently increased the risk of T2MI hospitalizations [Table 1]. The T2MI-obese cohort had a significantly higher rate of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and prior history of MI and TIA/stroke compared to the T2MI-nonobese cohort [Table 2].

Conclusion

This nationwide analysis revealed a significantly higher risk of T2MI in young obese patients compared to nonobese after excluding patients with concomitant diagnoses of T1MI. Males, blacks compared to females and whites, and comorbidities including COPD, CKD and RA/CVD predicted a higher risk of T2MI in young obese patients. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the role of higher body mass index in myocardial oxygen demand-supply mismatch and short-term/long-term risk and outcomes of T2MI.

Nationwide frequency, risk and outcomes of type-2 myocardial infarction in patients with versus without previously revascularized myocardial infarction (type 1)

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI), due to a mismatch between myocardial oxygen demand and supply, is being increasingly recognized with improved diagnostics. The upsetting concern of developing T2MI in patients with prior revascularized occlusive acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or type 1 MI (T1MI) makes it crucial to define the clinical profile and outcomes of T2MI in revascularized patients of ACS.

Purpose

To determine the risk and prognosis of T2MI in patients who had previously had coronary revascularization (PCI or CABG)

Methods

We used the National Inpatient Sample (2018) dataset from the United States to identify T2MI adult hospitalizations using ICD-10 codes and define our study arm as T2MI excluding secondary T1MI diagnoses but having prior revascularized (with percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting) AMI. We then compared demographics and comorbidities in T2MI cohort with vs without personal history of revascularized AMI. We used multivariate analysis to study the odds of T2MI hospitalizations with prior revascularized AMI and in-hospital outcomes (all-cause mortality, cardiogenic shock and resource utilization) adjusting for confounders.

Results

There were 33155 T2MI adult hospitalizations after excluding AMI (median age 71 years, 50.6% male, 67.3% white); 1435 (4.3%) had previously revascularized AMI. T2MI in the study arm had higher chances of hospitalization with prior revascularized AMI when adjusted for socio-demographics (aOR 6.92, 95% CI:6.50-7.36, p<0.001) and socio-demographics with comorbidities (aOR 5.70, 95%CI: 5.48-5.94, p<0.001) (Table 1). Study arm often had elderly (≥65 years old, 78.4% vs 65.8%), male (66.6% vs 49.9%), white (76.7% vs 66.9%), upper socio-economic class (20.2 vs 16.8%), patients who were often admitted to non-electively (99.3 vs 97.1%) and to rural (10.5 vs 9.3%) hospitalizations compared to control arm. The study arm had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure, deficiency anemias, prior TIA/stroke, depression and smoking. T2MI cohort with prior revascularized AMI did not show any significant association with in-hospital all-cause mortality (1.7 vs 3.0%, aOR 0.49, 95%CI 0.18-1.34, p=0.164) and cardiogenic shock (1.7% vs 2.1%, p=0.399) however, had lower hospital expenditure (median USD 31273 vs 36567) and fewer transfers to other facilities (19.5 vs 22.1%) than those without prior revascularized AMI (Table 2).

Conclusion

Population-based analysis of this nationally representative sample revealed up to six times higher risk of developing T2MI in patients with prior history of AMI (revascularized) but without any significant impact on all-cause in-hospital mortality or cardiogenic shock. Future studies are warranted to assess the short-term/long-term outcomes of T2MI in high risk patient population with previously revascularized AMI.