title: Patient characteristics and pre-operative therapeutic modalities.
abstract: The International Cooperative Study on the Timing of Aneurysm Surgery included 68 participating centers from 16 different countries. Eight Italian neurosurgical units participated in the Study: Bellaria Hospital, Bologna; Neurological Institute of Milan, Milan; University Hospital, Brescia; University of Milan, Milan; University of Padova, Padova; University of Rome, Rome; Civil Hospital, Verona; and Civil Hospital, Vicenza. The overall case contribution from the Italian centers was 485 cases, 14.1% of the total study population. As compared to the other centers included in the Study, the Italian centers exhibited a higher percentage of patients with impaired consciousness; a later interval of planned surgery from SAH; frequent use of preoperative lumbar drainage, as well as antihypertensives, anticonvulsants, antifibrinolytics, steroids, diuretics and LMW dextran; and less frequent use of sedatives and narcotics. The individual Italian centers differed significantly in regard to patient characteristics and preoperative therapeutic modalities. There was a relatively high number of stuporous or comatose patients admitted to Centers 1, 7 and 8, very few admitted to Centers 5 and 6, and none admitted to Center 2. The different distribution of key prognostic factors prevents a direct comparison of the overall management results of the centers. A stratification of the patients according to a risk scale and/or a prognostic model is required for comparison of the management results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spallone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pasqualin
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Kassel
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Torner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Da Pian
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guidetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mingrino
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pluchino
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*