Introduction:
The impact of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on clinical practice remains an important topic in medical research. Several landmark RCTs have tested the role of neurosurgical management following spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Studies have found discordant trends in utilization of open cranial surgery following the publication of Surgical Trial in Lobar Intracerebral Haemorrhage (STICH) I & II but national trends have not been assessed.
Hypothesis:
We hypothesize that recent RCTs have had limited impact on cranial utilization patterns for ICH.
Methods:
Hospitalizations from 2000 to 2014 were identified from the National Inpatient Sample. A time trend analysis evaluated open cranial surgery utilization by three ICD9CM procedure codes (01.2 “Craniotomy/Craniectomy”, 01.24 “Other Craniotomy”, and 01.25 “Other Craniectomy”), stratified by teaching status, before and after 2005, following publication of STICH I. The impact on patient outcomes was also assessed.
Results:
Based on a total of 241,160 hospitalizations with 6,984 (2.9%) open cranial surgeries, approximately 33,616 (95% confidence interval (CI): 31,582-35,650) have been performed in the United States since 2000. There was a temporal increase in cranial surgeries (OR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.05, p<0.0001) between 2000 and 2014 but when stratified by study period (before or after 2005), the increase was only significant after 2005 (OR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.06, p<0.0001). The effect was greater at teaching hospitals (OR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.10-1.20, p<0.0001) than at non-teaching hospitals (OR 1.10, 95% CI: 0.99-1.21, p=0.07). There was no differences in patient mortality and discharge disposition (p-values >0.15).
Conclusion:
Utilization of open cranial procedures has increased after STICH I, an effect that was strongest at teaching hospitals. These findings suggest that recent RCTs did not influence utilization of open cranial surgery for management of ICH.