Relationship between cumulative blood pressure exposure within the early brain injury time window and delayed cerebral ischemia and rebleeding in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage after aneurysm clipping: a retrospective study

Abstract

Delayed cerebral ischemia, one of the most common complications following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, was strongly related to poor patient outcomes. However, there are currently no clear guidelines to provide clinical guidance for post-craniotomy management. Our research aims to explore the association between cumulative blood pressure exposure during the early brain injury phase and the occurrence of delayed cerebral infarction and rebleeding following surgical aneurysm clipping. All baseline characteristics of the patients were meticulously recorded. We collected blood pressure data 25 times in 48 h after surgery for subsequent analysis. Cumulative blood pressure exposure is calculated by the product of the time spent below a specific blood pressure threshold and the cumulative exposure time. The principal outcome is the incidence of Delayed Cerebral Infarction, while the secondary outcome pertains to postoperative rebleeding. Logistic regression was utilized to examine the relationship. The cumulative exposure to mean arterial pressure at and below 85 mmHg demonstrated a significant association with DCI occurrence. However, no significant statistical correlation was found between hypertensive exposure and rebleeding events. The results from the sensitivity analysis remained consistent, and the lack of significant interactions further supports the robustness of the study findings. The identified threshold of 85 mmHg could potentially represent a critical blood pressure management parameter for post-surgical aneurysm clipping patients. These findings merit further investigation through larger prospective clinical trials.

Keywords: Delayed cerebral ischemia; Early brain injury; Postoperative blood pressure; Surgical clipping.