Effect of plasma transfusion on in-hospital mortality and morbidities in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

Objective: Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a critical condition in which patients may require plasma transfusion during hospitalization. However, it remains unknown whether plasma administration has detrimental effects on the prognosis of SAH beyond the correction of coagulopathy or hypovolemia. This study aimed to analyze the association of plasma transfusion with in-hospital mortality and morbidities in patients with SAH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 1689 adult patients with a primary diagnosis of spontaneous SAH. Differences in the clinical parameters were evaluated between patients who received plasma transfusion and those who did not. Results: Of 1689 patients, 158 (9.4%) received plasma transfusion. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in pre-existing comorbidity prevalence between the two study groups. The post-SAH morbidities, including cerebral ischemic events (13.3% vs. 6.4%; p = 0.01), were more common in the plasma transfusion group, whereas the mortality rate was not different between the two study groups (p = 0.166). The mean duration of hospital stay was 19.3 +/- 14.4 days and 15.1 +/- 15.2 days for patients with and without plasma transfusion, respectively (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Plasma transfusion following spontaneous SAH is not uncommon. Although the in-hospital mortality rate does not increase following plasma transfusion, cerebral ischemic events as well as other morbidities are more frequent in patients receiving plasma transfusion. Therefore, the indication for plasma transfusion following SAH needs careful weighing and should be further defined by well-controlled studies.