Background:
Hyperglycemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is common, but extend to which it contributes to inhospital complications is still unknown The aim of this study was to determine correlation between level of blood glucose with the clinical presentation of subarachnoid hemorrhage described by the Hunt and Hess scale.
Methods and patients:
We examined a cohort of SAH patients who had at least 3 daily blood glucose measurements between SAH diagnosed day 0 and day 10. We also defined mean glucose burden (GB) as the average peak daily blood glucose level > 6.0 mmol/L and hospital complications were recorded prospectively.
Results:
Our study included 89 patients with diagnose SAH between the period 2003 and 2008, 42 (47%) of them where men and 47 (53%) were women. A 63 (71%) of patients had peak daily glucose level > 6 mmol/L. The blood glucose level (BGL) 67 mmol/L had 35 (55%) patients, 18 with HH I, 7 with HH II, 6 with HH 0, 3 with HH III and 1 with HH V. The 17 (27%) patients with BGL 8–9.9 mmol/L had mostly HH I, 8 of them, HH II-III had 6 patients, 3 had HH IV-V. In the group BLG 10–11.9 mmol/L were 5 (8%) patients, 4 of them with HH I and HH III, 1 with HH V. Among the 6 (9.5%) patients with BGL over 12 mmol/L, 3 of them had HH V and 3 had HH I. Among 63 patients 7(11%) died, 5 with HH V, 1 with HH III and BGL 10–11.9 mmol/L and 1 with HH I and BGL 8–9.9 mmol/L.
Conclusions:
Predictors of high-GB included eldery patients, Hunt and Hess grade III-V and history of diabetes mellitus. The GB was associated with increased intensive care unit length of stay, congestive heart failure, respiratory failure and brain stem compression from herniation. We can conclude that hypergycemia after SAH is associated with serious hospital complications.
