<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH) remains the most devastating type of stroke with the highest morbidity and mortality. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, serious modifications have been made in health care systems, affecting patients with all kinds of disease, including SICH. This study compared mortality rates, and clinical and functional outcomes of patients diagnosed with SICH in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 time periods. Retrospective analysis was performed using patient data from Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital from 2018 to 2021, dividing it into two subgroups based on the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 329 patients in total were analysed. No statistically significant differences were found in mortality rate (p = 0.389) and neurological status at hospital admission (<italic>p</italic> = 0.309) between the time periods prior to COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 period. A statistically significant difference was found in the clinical status of patients (<italic>p</italic> = 0.016) measured using the Glasgow Coma Scale, indicating a worse level of consciousness of patients diagnosed with SICH at the time of admission to the hospital in the COVID-19 period. No statistically significant differences were found in the clinical outcome (<italic>p</italic> = 0.204) and functional outcome (<italic>p</italic> = 0.556) of the patients at discharge from the hospital. In the COVID-19 period, admission of patients with SICH fell by 25%. For patients with SICH, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a reduced admission rate and a worse level of consciousness at the time of admission, calling for further research to identify what caused it and how to avoid delayed medical help in the case of the development of acute neurological symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak.</p>
</abstract>

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH) remains the most devastating type of stroke with the highest morbidity and mortality. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, serious modifications have been made in health care systems, affecting patients with all kinds of disease, including SICH. This study compared mortality rates, and clinical and functional outcomes of patients diagnosed with SICH in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 time periods. Retrospective analysis was performed using patient data from Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital from 2018 to 2021, dividing it into two subgroups based on the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 329 patients in total were analysed. No statistically significant differences were found in mortality rate (p = 0.389) and neurological status at hospital admission (p = 0.309) between the time periods prior to COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 period. A statistically significant difference was found in the clinical status of patients (p = 0.016) measured using the Glasgow Coma Scale, indicating a worse level of consciousness of patients diagnosed with SICH at the time of admission to the hospital in the COVID-19 period. No statistically significant differences were found in the clinical outcome (p = 0.204) and functional outcome (p = 0.556) of the patients at discharge from the hospital. In the COVID-19 period, admission of patients with SICH fell by 25%. For patients with SICH, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a reduced admission rate and a worse level of consciousness at the time of admission, calling for further research to identify what caused it and how to avoid delayed medical help in the case of the development of acute neurological symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mortality Rate and Clinical Outcome of Patients Admitted to Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital With Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage

Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital

Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B. Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH) remains the most devastating type of stroke with the highest morbidity and mortality. Since the start of the...

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mortality Rate and Clinical Outcome of Patients Admitted to Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital With Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage

Published Online: May 18, 2023

Page range: 92 - 95

Received: Jul 20, 2022

Accepted: Oct 11, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/prolas-2023-0013

Keywords
National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), coronavirus-disease 19 (COVID-19), Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), haemorrhagic stroke, arterial hypertension

© 2023 Inese Blimhena-Pastare et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mortality Rate and Clinical Outcome of Patients Admitted to Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital With Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage

Published Online: May 18, 2023

Page range: 92 - 95

Received: Jul 20, 2022

Accepted: Oct 11, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/prolas-2023-0013

KeywordsNational Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), coronavirus-disease 19 (COVID-19), Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), haemorrhagic stroke, arterial hypertension

© 2023 Inese Blimhena-Pastare et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), coronavirus-disease 19 (COVID-19), Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), haemorrhagic stroke, arterial hypertension