Background:
Hemorrhagic stroke patients may require inter-facility transfer for higher level of care. Limited data are available on outcome of transferred patients.
Objective:
To determine in-hospital mortality and discharge outcomes among transferred hemorrhagic stroke patients.
Methods:
Data from all patients admitted to US hospitals between 2008 and 2011 with a primary discharge diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke [intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)] were identified by ICD-9 codes (ICH: 431; SAH: 430). In separate models for ICH and SAH using logistic regression, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for in-hospital mortality and good outcome (discharge home or inpatient rehabilitation) among transfer vs. non-transfers were estimated, after adjusting for potential confounders.
Results:
Of 290,395 patients with ICH, 48,749 (16.8%) arrived by inter-hospital transfer; for SAH, 25,726 (33%) of 78,156 were transfers. In-hospital mortality was lower among ICH transfers (21.2% vs. 23.2%; p=0.004). In adjusted analyses, in-hospital mortality was not significantly different (p=0.20) while discharge to home or inpatient rehabilitation was more likely among transferred ICH patients (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2, p=0.05). In-hospital mortality was lower for SAH transfers (17.4% vs. 22.9%, p<0.001) and remained significant in adjusted analyses (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8). Transferred SAH patients were also more likely to be discharged to home or inpatient rehabilitation (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4, p<0.001). Coiling and clipping procedures were significantly more common in SAH transferred patients while cerebral angiography, mechanical ventilation and gastrostomy were significantly higher in both ICH and SAH transfer patients.
Conclusion:
While ICH patients arriving by transfer have similar mortality as non-transfers, they are more likely to be discharged to home or acute rehabilitation. For SAH, transfer confers both mortality and outcome benefit. Definitive surgical treatments and aggressive medical supportive care at receiving hospitals may mediate the benefits of inter-hospital transfer in hemorrhagic stroke patients.
REBOA for Inter-Hospital Transfer: Are We Walking in the Dark?
