Rate of use and determinants of withdrawal of care among patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the United States

Abstract

Background: The use of "withdrawal of care" and impact upon outcomes among patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not well studied.

Objective: To identify the rate and determinants of "withdrawal of care" among SAH patients.

Methods: We determined the frequency of "withdrawal of care" and compared the demographic, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes among patients with SAH stratified by use of "withdrawal of care."

Results: "Withdrawal of care" during hospitalization was instituted in 8912 (3.4%) of the 266,067 patients with SAH. In the stepwise logistic regression, age >65 (odds ratio [OR] 4.5, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.3-6.1), women (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.3), African American (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.8), Hispanic ethnicity (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.6), renal failure (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-1.9), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7-2.4, All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups severity score of extreme loss of function (OR 40.1, 95% CI 6.0-270.7), All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups severity score of severe loss of function (OR 15.0, 95% CI 2.1-103.8), insurance status of private health maintenance organization (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9), and hospital region south United States (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.8), were significant predictors of "withdrawal of care" among patients with SAH. In-hospital mortality was significantly greater, but mean hospitalization charges and length of stay were significantly lower among those with "withdrawal of care."

Conclusions: Although "withdrawal of care" was effective in limiting hospital charges and resource use, caution is needed to avoid disproportionately high mortality. The prominent relationship between race/ethnicity, insurance status, and hospital location with "withdrawal of care" raises concerns that factors other than severity of disease influence decision making.

Keywords: Mortality; Palliative care; Subarachnoid hemorrhage; Withdrawal of care.