A total of n = 1,325,438 patients from 23 hospitals were screened. Two hospitals in the network did not treat patients with neurosurgical diagnoses. Overall, n = 9,081 eligible patients from 21 hospitals were included and analysed in this study. The aSAH group included n = 5,008 patients and the ICH group included n = 4,073 patients (Figure 1). The incidence of eligible cases within the entire database of n = 1,325,438 was 0.4% for aSAH and 0.3% for ICH. Most patients received a neurosurgical OPS (84.9% in aSAH and 76.9% in ICH). The remaining OPS are distributed across several specialties (visceral and endocrine surgery accounts for the highest proportion with 5.0%, followed by 3.5% with otorhinolaryngology). The distribution of other surgical OPS can be found in Online Resource 2). Demographic and intervention data are shown in Table 1.
Anaemia - The median preoperative Hb level was 13.2 g/dl in aSAH patients and 12.8 g/dl in ICH patients. Severe, moderate and mild preoperative anaemia was present in aSAH patients at rates of 1.0%, 10.7% and 16.6%, respectively, and in ICH patients at rates of 2.7%, 17.6% and 20.6%, respectively (Table 1).
Descriptive and univariate analysis for postoperative outcomes according to preoperative anaemia are listed for both pathologies in Tables 1/2 and Online Resource Tables 3/4. Mortality was significantly higher in the presence of preoperative anaemia (22.2% versus 13.3%, p < 0.001 in aSAH and 31.5% versus 17.9%, p < 0.001 in ICH) (Table 2). Figure 2 demonstrates that an increase in the preoperative Hb values corresponds to a decrease in the mortality rate.
Descriptive and univariate analysis revealed that preoperative anaemia resulted in significantly higher numbers of RBC units transfused, LOS, postoperative anaemia, renal failure and sepsis both for aSAH und ICH patients (Tables 1/2/3, Online Resource Tables 3/4). Vasospasm was significantly lower in the presence of preoperative anaemia (9.3% versus 12.4%, p = 0.004) in aSAH patients (Table 1). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative anaemia was an independent risk factor for increased RBC transfusion in both, patients with aSAH (p < 0.001; OR = 3.25) and ICH (p < 0.001; OR = 4.16) (Table 4/5). Multivariate analysis indicated preoperative anaemia was an independent risk factor for mortality (OR = 1.48 in aSAH patients, OR = 1.53 in ICH patients, both p < 0.001), transfused RBC units (p < 0.001), postoperative anaemia (OR = 6.18 in aSAH patients, OR = 7.11 in ICH patients, p < 0.001). In aSAH patients, moreover, preoperative anaemia increased the risk for renal failure (OR = 1.61, p = 0.002) and LOS (+1.6 days, p = 0.03). Preoperative anaemia was an independent factor for decreased LOS in ICH (; -2.5 days, p = 0.006). Furthermore, preoperative anaemia was an independent factor for decreased ischemic stroke (OR = 0.78, p = 0.005 in aSAH and OR = 0.82, p = 0.05 in ICH), pneumonia (OR = 0.78 in ICH, p = 0.008), pulmonary embolism (OR = 0.60, p = 0.02 in aSAH) and vasospasm (OR = 0.70, p = 0.01 in aSAH) (Table 5/6).
RBC transfusion - RBC transfusion rates were higher in the presence of preoperative anaemia in both, the aSAH group (45.8% vs 24.9%, p < 0.001) and the ICH group (45.0% vs 18.8%, p < 0.001), (Table 3 and Online Resource Tables 3/4). Figure 3 demonstrates that a constant increase in the preoperative Hb values corresponds to a constant decrease in the RBC transfusion rate. Preoperative anaemic patients were significantly more likely to receive RBC transfusions than non-anaemic patients (24.9% vs. 45.8%, p < 0.001 in aSAH and 18.8% vs. 45.0%, p < 0.001 in ICH) (Table 3 and Online Resource Tables 3/4). In the additional descriptive analysis, transfusion rates for RBC, plasma and clotting products were higher when haemorrhagic diatheses due to coumarins, heparins and novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), as well as factor XIII and factor VIII deficiency were present (Table 3/4). Mortality rates were higher when more RBC units were required (Table 2).
Multivariate analysis revealed that RBC transfusion was an independent (all p < 0.001) risk factor for increased mortality (OR = 3.59 in ICH, OR = 2.30 in aSAH), LOS (+17.7 days in ICH, +13.7 days in aSAH), ischaemic stroke, renal failure, sepsis, pneumonia and pulmonary embolism in aSAH and ICH patients and for vasospasm (OR = 2.47) in aSAH patients (Table 5/6).
Interventions – In the univariate and descriptive analysis, RBC transfusion rates were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the presence of interventions (Table 2 and Online Resource Tables 3/4). In the multivariate analysis, clipping was an independent factor for significantly lesser RBC units transfused (-679 units/1000 patients, p = 0.035) in aSAH patients. Coiling (OR=1.63, p < 0.001) and craniotomy (OR = 2.30, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for significantly higher RBC transfusion rates in aSAH patients. Craniotomy was independently associated with significantly higher RBC transfusion rates (OR = 1.78, p < 0.001 in ICH and OR = 2.30, p < 0.001 in aSAH) and RBC units transfused (+1263 units/1000 patients, p<0.001 in ICH) (Table 5/6)
Vasospasm – The proportion of preoperative anaemia was significantly lower (p = 0.004) in the vasospasm (22.8%) group than in the non-vasospasm group (29.0%). The RBC transfusion rate was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the vasospasm (40.9%) than in the non-vasospasm group (28.1%) (Online Resource 5). In the multivariate analysis, vasospasm was an independent risk factor for RBC transfusion (OR = 2.13, p < 0.001), postoperative anaemia (OR = 1.67, p = 0.004), prolonged LOS (+6.1 days, p < 0.001), pneumonia (OR = 1.45, p < 0.001) and ischemic stroke (OR = 1.45, p = 0.001) (Tables 3/4).