Outcomes for older patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage who require admission to an Australian intensive care unit.

Background: Advanced age is an independent risk factor for poor outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). However, Australian data are lacking. Our aim was to evaluate outcomes for older patients admitted to an Australian intensive care unit for management of aneurysmal SAH.

Methods: We conducted a single centre retrospective observational study looking at adult patients admitted with aneurysmal SAH to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over a 10-year period. Patients were grouped by age; <70 years, 70-79 years, ⩾80 years, and were of sufficient complexity to be unsuitable for our neurosurgical high-dependency unit. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were ICU and hospital length of stay, and discharge destination.

Results: Of 372 patients admitted to ICU with aneurysmal SAH, 302 (82%) were younger (<70 years), 46 (12%) were septuagenarians and 24 (6%) were octogenarians. There were no differences between clinical or radiological grade of aneurysmal SAH between age cohorts. When compared to the patients younger than 70 years, there was increased odds of dying for those 70-79 and ⩾80 years (70-79: OR 1.98, 95% CI 0.93, 4.20 p = 0.077; ⩾80: OR 4.01, 95% CI 1.55, 10.35 p = 0.004). There were no associations between age and duration of admission. Only 6% of patients aged ⩾70 years were discharged home alive.

Conclusion: It was uncommon for patients over 70 years of age who present with a SAH to be discharged home from hospital, and those aged ⩾80 are four times more likely to die in hospital than younger patients.