White Blood Cell Count and Neutrophil‑lymphocyte Ratio Improve Prediction of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Good‑grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Newswise — Winner of the DePuy Synthes Cerebrovascular Award, Fawaz Al-Mufti, MD, presented his research, White Blood Cell Count and Neutrophil‑lymphocyte Ratio Improve Prediction of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Good‑grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, during the 2017 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting.

In order to determine the relationship of inflammatory cell biomarkers with delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), study authors evaluated 849 aSAH patients who were enrolled into a prospective observational cohort study and had a white blood cell (WBC) differential obtained within 72 hours of bleed onset.

After controlling for clinical grade, thick SAH on admission and clipping aneurysm repair, WBC count was the strongest CBC predictor of DCI followed by a neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. A significant interaction between clinical grade and WBC count revealed that good-grade patients with elevated WBC counts had increased odds for DCI indistinguishable from poor-grade patients. Multivariable Cox regression also showed that elevated WBC counts in good-grade patients increased the hazard for DCI to that of poor-grade patients. ROC curve analysis of good-grade patients revealed that WBC count is a stronger DCI predictor than modified Fisher Score and significantly improves multivariable DCI prediction models.

Study conclusion indicates that good-grade patients with early elevations in WBC count have a similar risk and hazard for DCI as poor-grade patients. Good-grade patients without elevated WBC may be candidates for a safe downgraded from the ICU, leading to cost savings for both patient families and hospitals.

Author Block: Fawaz Al-Mufti, MD;  J. Michael Schmidt; Jan Claassen, MD; E. Sander Connolly, MD; Philip Meyers, MD; Soojin Park, MD; Sachin Agarwal, MD; David Roh, MD; and Andrew Bauerschmidt, MD;

Disclosure: The author reported no conflicts of interest.

Media Representatives: The 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting press section will include releases on highlighted scientific research, AANS officers and award winners, Neurosurgery Awareness Month and other relevant information about the 2017 program. Releases will be posted under the “Media” area on the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting website. If you have interest in a topic related to neurosurgery or would like to interview a neurosurgeon — either onsite or via telephone — during the event, please contact Alice Kelsey, AANS associate executive director, via email at [email protected].

About the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances. The scientific presentations accepted for the 2017 event will represent cutting-edge examples of the incredible developments taking place within the field of neurosurgery. Find additional information about the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and the meeting program here.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 10,000 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. Fellows of the AANS are board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, A.C. Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, nervous system and peripheral nerves.

For more information, visit www.AANS.org.