• Jennifer A Frontera, Andres Fernandez, Jan Claassen, Michael Schmidt, H Christian Schumacher, Katja Wartenberg, Richard Temes, Augusto Parra, Noeleen D Ostapkovich, and Stephan A Mayer.
• Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
• Stroke. 2006 Jan 1;37(1):199-203.

Background And PurposeHyperglycemia is common after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The extent to which prolonged hyperglycemia contributes to in-hospital complications and poor outcome after SAH is unknown.MethodsWe studied an inception cohort of 281 SAH patients with an initial serum glucose level obtained within 3 days of SAH onset and who had at least 7 daily glucose measurements between SAH days 0 and 10. We defined mean glucose burden (GB) as the average peak daily glucose level >5.8 mmol/L (105 mg/dL). Hospital complications were recorded prospectively, and 3-month outcome was assessed with the modified Rankin scale.ResultsThe median GB was 1.8 mmol/L (33 mg/dL). Predictors of high-GB included age > or =54 years, Hunt and Hess grade III-V, poor Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE)-2 physiological subscores, and a history of diabetes mellitus (all P< or =0.001). In a multivariate analysis, GB was associated with increased intensive care unit length of stay (P=0.003) and the following complications: congestive heart failure, respiratory failure, pneumonia, and brain stem compression from herniation (all P<0.05). After adjusting for Hunt-Hess grade, aneurysm size, and age, GB was an independent predictor of death (odds ratio, 1.10 per mmol/L; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.21; P=0.027) and death or severe disability (modified Rankin scale score of 4 to 6; odds ratio, 1.17 per mmol/L; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.28, P<0.001).ConclusionsHyperglycemia after SAH is associated with serious hospital complications, increased intensive care unit length of stay, and an increased risk of death or severe disability.

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