Pulmonary complications after intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective: There are no data on pulmonary complications in an selected population of patients with intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH). At present, most data is extrapolated from series of patients with stroke that combine patients with both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency,,types of pulmonary complications in patients with ICH, their association with clinical variables, and contribution to hospital stay. Materials and Methods: A total of 144 consecutive patients with ICH between January 1999 and October 2003 were analyzed for pulmonary complications such as pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, or miscellaneous complications. Results: Overall, 41 patients (28%,95% confidence interval, 22-36%) developed pulmonary complications. The most common events were pneumonia (19%) and pulmonary edema (8%). Complications were most often encountered immediately after the onset of ICH (63% detected on the day of admission). Pulmonary complications lengthened the duration of hospital stay among survivors. Conclusions: Our study provides data on pulmonary complications after acute ICH. Almost one-third of patients with ICH develop pulmonary complications. Pulmonary complications increased morbidity, mortality, and duration of hospital stay. Aggressive management of these complications can potentially reduce the morbidity, mortality, duration of hospital stay, and financial expenditure incurred in this group of patients.