08 May Comprehensive Stroke Centers Save Lives In Patients With Hemorrhagic Stroke

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
James S McKinney, MD, FAHA
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Medical Director, RWJUH Comprehensive Stroke Center
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. McKinney: The current study evaluated outcomes of patients admitted to New Jersey hospitals with hemorrhagic stroke, including intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding into the brain) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding along the surface of the brain) between 1996 and 2012 using the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS) administrative database.  The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services designates certain hospitals as comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs).  We found that patients admitted to comprehensive stroke centers with hemorrhagic stroke were less likely to die than those admitted to other hospital types.  This was particularly true for those patients admitted with subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is usually caused by a ruptured aneurysm.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. McKinney: The stroke center designation process works to identify hospitals that are dedicated to providing the resources to quickly diagnose and treat stroke patients.  Patients with complex or serious strokes, such as hemorrhagic stroke, should be treated at hospitals with an appropriate spectrum of resources to manage their condition.  Our study indicates that CSC care may lower mortality for patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. McKinney: The current study used administrative data and was unable to adjust for all potential confounding variables, particularly stroke severity.  Further, we only were able to study stroke care in New Jersey using statewide department of health stroke center designations.  Further research should look at outcomes of hemorrhagic stroke patients admitted to stroke centers adjusting for stroke severity and in other geographic regions.

Citation:

James S. McKinney, Jerry Q. Cheng, Igor Rybinnik, John B. Kostis, and the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS 22) Study Group. Comprehensive Stroke Centers May Be Associated With Improved Survival in Hemorrhagic Stroke. Journal of the American Heart Association, May 2015 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001448

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MedicalResearch.com Interview with: James S McKinney, MD, FAHA (2015). Comprehensive Stroke Centers Save Lives In Patients With Hemorrhagic Stroke 

Last Updated on May 8, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD