Predictors of Early Mortality for Mechanically Ventilated Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients

Introduction Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) carries a high mortality burden. Limited data are available on early mortality (EM) and sICH. This study attempted to identify the independent predictors of EM and analyze the mortality characteristics for mechanically ventilated patients with sICHs at a tertiary care hospital over a period of five years. Methods An Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)-compliant retrospective analysis was performed on sICH patients admitted at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit between January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017. Patients were divided into two cohorts: EM cohort (death within seven days of admission) versus survivor cohort (alive more than seven days after admission). Demographic, comorbidity, clinical, and radiographic data were collected for each patient. Outcomes were compared utilizing student t-test or Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of EM. Results A total of 204 mechanically ventilated patients with sICHs, with a mean age of 59.73 (SD ±14.30), mostly African American (137, 67%), were included in the study. The characteristics of the two cohorts were comparable except the EM cohort had a lower proportion of patients with hypertension and end-stage renal disease; lower median Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission; lower proportion of surgical evacuation and external ventricular drain (EVD) placement; higher proportion of lobar hemorrhage, brainstem involvement, midline shift, hydrocephalus, intraventricular hemorrhage component, and right-sided intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH); higher median ICH score; and higher ICH volume compared to the survivor cohort. Overall, the mortality of mechanically ventilated sICH patients in this institution was 53% (N=109), with 47% (N=96) not surviving beyond seven days. Logistic regression analysis revealed that ICH volume and brainstem involvement increased the odds of EM, while a history of hypertension, surgical evacuation, and EVD placement decreased the odds of EM. Conclusions This study on mechanically ventilated sICH patients identified ICH volume and brainstem involvement as independent predictors of increased EM. History of hypertension, EVD placement, and surgical evacuation decreased its odds. Further studies should be conducted to explore potentially modifiable processes that can improve patient outcomes, most importantly EM, especially in this cohort of patients.