Background and purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine in-hospital mortality and morbidity secondary to intracerebral hemorrhage and to analyse variables considered to be significantly associated with survival in these patients.
Patients and methods: The study cohort consisted of 135 consecutive patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, admitted to a large community hospital in the urban area of Vienna. The diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage was established in all cases with axial computed tomography. The following variables were analysed: age, sex, Glasgow coma score on admission, location of hematomas, intraventricular hemorrhage, neurosurgical interventions and medical complications.
Results: Sixty-seven (49.6%) of the 135 patients died, 50 (37%) of them during the first 4 days after the acute event, 13 within the 1st week and 4 within one month. In a multivariate analysis the risk of death was significantly increased by the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.01), a Glasgow coma score of 6 or less (p < 0.0001) and age greater than 60 years (p < 0.001). Gender, medical complications and surgical removal of hemorrhage with or without additional ventriculostomy did not correlate significantly with outcome while an infratentorial location of hematoma showed a trend (p < 0.15) towards a higher mortality.
Conclusion: A Glasgow coma score of 6 or less on admission, age greater than 60 years and the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage appear to be predictors of mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.