Association of Seizure Occurrence with Aneurysm Treatment Modality in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients.

TitleAssociation of Seizure Occurrence with Aneurysm Treatment Modality in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsAllen BB, Forgacs PB, Fakhar MA, Wu X, Gerber LM, Boddu S, Murthy SB, Stieg PE, Mangat HS
JournalNeurocrit Care
Volume29
Issue1
Pagination62-68
Date Published2018 08
ISSN1556-0961
KeywordsAdult, Aged, Electroencephalography, Endovascular Procedures, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Intracranial Aneurysm, Male, Middle Aged, Neurosurgical Procedures, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Retrospective Studies, Seizures, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Data on new-onset seizures after treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients are limited and variable. We examined the association between new-onset seizures after aSAH and aneurysm treatment modality, as well their relationship with initial clinical severity of aSAH and outcomes.

METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of all aSAH patients admitted to our institution over a 6-year period. 'Seizures' were defined as any observed clinical seizure or electrographic seizure on continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) recordings, as determined by the reviewing neurophysiologist. Subgroup analyses were performed in low-grade (Hunt-Hess 1-3) and high-grade (Hunt-Hess 4-5) patients. Outcomes measures were Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) at intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at outpatient follow-up.

RESULTS: There were 282 patients with aSAH; 203 (72.0%) suffered low-grade and 79 (28%) high-grade aSAH. Patients were treated with endovascular coiling (N = 194, 68.8%) or surgical clipping (N = 66, 23.4%). Eighteen (6.4%) patients had seizures, of whom 10 (5.5%) had aneurysm coiling and 7 (10.6%) underwent clipping (p = 0.15). In low-grade patients, seizures occurred less frequently (p = 0.016) and were more common after surgical clipping (p = 0.0089). Seizures correlated with lower GCS upon ICU discharge (p < 0.001), in clipped (p = 0.011) and coiled (p < 0.001) patients and in low-grade aSAH (p < 0.001). Seizures correlated with higher mRS on follow-up (p < 0.001), in clipped (p = 0.032) and coiled (p = 0.004) patients and in low-grade aSAH (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS: New-onset seizures after aSAH occurred infrequently, and their incidence after aneurysm clipping versus coiling was not significantly different. However, in low-grade patients, new seizures were more frequently associated with clipping than coiling. Additionally, non-convulsive seizures did not occur in low-grade patients treated with coiling. These findings may explain, in part, previous work suggesting better outcomes in coiled patients and encourage physicians to have a lower threshold for cEEG utilization in low-grade patients suspected to have acute seizures after surgical clipping.

DOI10.1007/s12028-018-0506-z
Alternate JournalNeurocrit Care
PubMed ID29484583
PubMed Central IDPMC6152813
Grant ListK23 NS096222 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR000043 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
UL1-TR000457-06 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR002384 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR000457 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States