Acute subdural haematoma in the elderly- to operate or not to operate A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes following surgery

Manivannan, Susruta, Spencer, Robert, Marei, Omar, Mayo, Isaac, Elalfy, Omar, Martin, John and Zaben, Malik ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7446-4532 2021. Acute subdural haematoma in the elderly- to operate or not to operate A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes following surgery. BMJ Open 11 , e050786. 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050786

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Abstract

Objectives Acute subdural haematoma (ASDH) is a devastating pathology commonly found on CT brain scans of patients with traumatic brain injury. The role of surgical intervention in the elderly has been increasingly questioned due to its associated morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to quantify the mortality and functional outcomes associated with surgical management of ASDH in the elderly was performed. Design/setting A multidatabase literature search between January 1990 and May 2020, and meta-analysis of proportions was performed to quantify mortality and unfavourable outcome (Glasgow Outcome scale 1–3; death/ severe disability) rates. Participants Studies reporting patients aged 60 years or older. Interventions Craniotomy, decompressive craniectomy, conservative management. Outcome measures Mortality and functional outcomes (discharge, long-term follow-up (LTFU)). Results 2572 articles were screened, yielding 21 studies for final inclusion and 15 for meta-analysis. Pooled estimates of mortality were 39.83% (95% CI 32.73% to 47.14%; 10 studies, 308/739 patients, I2=73%) at discharge and 49.30% (95% CI 42.01% to 56.61%; 10 studies, 277/555 patients, I2=63%) at LTFU. Mean duration of follow-up was 7.1 months (range 2–12 months). Pooled estimate of percentage of poor outcomes was 81.18% (95% CI 75.61% to 86.21%; 6 studies, 363/451 patients, I2=45%) at discharge, and 79.25% (95% CI 72.42% to 85.37%; 8 studies, 402/511 patients, I2=66%) at LTFU. Mean duration of follow-up was 6.4 months (range 2–12 months). Potential risk factors for poor outcome included age, baseline functional status, preoperative neurological status and imaging parameters. Conclusions Outcomes following surgical evacuation of ASDH in patients aged 60 years and above are poor. This constitutes the best level of evidence in the current literature that surgical intervention for ASDH in the elderly carries significant risks, which must be weighed against benefits.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG)
Additional Information:	Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group
ISSN:	2044-6055
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 November 2021
Date of Acceptance:	6 October 2021
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2023 18:56
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/145480

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