A sustained systemic inflammatory response syndrome is associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE

The authors sought to evaluate whether a sustained systemic inflammatory response was associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 193 consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was performed. Management of hydrocephalus followed a stepwise algorithm to determine the need for external CSF drainage and subsequent shunt placement. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) data were collected for all patients during the first 7 days of hospitalization. Patients who met the SIRS criteria every day for the first 7 days of hospitalization were considered as having a sustained SIRS. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine predictors of shunt dependence.

RESULTS

Sixteen percent of patients required shunt placement. Sustained SIRS was observed in 35% of shunt-dependent patients compared to 14% in non-shunt-dependent patients (p = 0.004). On multivariate logistic regression, female sex (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.142-0.885), moderate to severe vasospasm (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.333-10.745), acute hydrocephalus (OR 21.39, 95% CI 2.260-202.417), and sustained SIRS (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.125-7.689) were significantly associated with shunt dependence after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.83 for the final regression model.

CONCLUSIONS

Sustained SIRS was a predictor of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage even after adjustment for potential confounding variables in a multivariate logistic regression model.