Proportion of sSAH higher for African-American and Hispanic women, and for those aged 20 to 29 years
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (sSAH) is increasing among pregnant women, according to a study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, held from Jan. 24 to 26 in Los Angeles.
Kaustubh Limaye, M.D., from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of female patients with sSAH using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project from 2002 to 2014.
The researchers found that 5.4 percent of the 73,692 admissions for sSAH in women aged 15 to 49 years occurred in pregnant women. The proportion of sSAH in pregnancy increased from 4.16 to 6.33 percent over the study period (P trend < 0.001), while there was a slight reduction among non-pregnant women. The proportion of sSAH during pregnancy was higher for African-American and Hispanic women versus Caucasians (8.19 and 7.11, respectively, versus 3.83 percent). The proportion of sSAH during pregnancy was highest in those aged 20 to 29 years versus those aged 15 to 19, 30 to 39, and 40 to 49 years, respectively (20.07 versus 11.39, 10.01, and 0.69 percent, respectively). sSAH during pregnancy correlated with less in-hospital mortality and with higher discharge to home compared to non-pregnant women with sSAH (both P < 0.001).
“We need to increase awareness in the medical community about the increasing trend of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage in pregnancy because management of these patients continues to be a clinical conundrum,” Limaye said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.
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