Guidelines Urge Transfer of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients

The new “Guidelines for the Management of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage,” published online May 3 in Stroke, call for hospitals treating fewer than 10 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) cases per year to consider their immediate transfer to facilities that handle at least 35 such cases annually.¹ The recommendation is based on research suggesting that 30-day death rates were significantly higher in low-volume facilities (39%) vs. facilities treating more than 35 cases per year (27%), reflecting the latter’s greater access to cerebrovascular surgeons, endovascular specialists, and neuro-intensive-care services.

This type of hemorrhage accounts for 5% of all strokes and affects more than 30,000 Americans annually.