Introducing a nationwide registry: the Swiss study on aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (Swiss SOS).
BACKGROUND
Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a haemorrhagic form of stroke and occurs in a younger population compared with ischaemic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage. It accounts for a large proportion of productive life-years lost to stroke. Its surgical and medical treatment represents a multidisciplinary effort. Due to the complexity of the disease, the management remains difficult to standardise and quality of care is accordingly difficult to assess.


OBJECTIVE
To create a registry to assess management parameters of patients treated for aSAH in Switzerland.


METHODS
A cohort study was initiated with the aim to record characteristics of patients admitted with aSAH, starting January 1st 2009. Ethical committee approval was obtained or is pending from the institutional review boards of all centres. In the study period, seven Swiss hospitals (five university [U], two non-university medical centres) harbouring a neurosurgery department, an intensive care unit and an interventional neuroradiology team so far agreed to participate in the registry (Aarau, Basel [U], Bern [U], Geneva [U], Lausanne [U], St. Gallen, Zürich [U]). Demographic and clinical parameters are entered into a common database.


CONCLUSIONS
This database will soon provide (1) a nationwide assessment of the current standard of care and (2) the outcomes for patients suffering from aSAH in Switzerland. Based on data from this registry, we can conduct cohort comparisons or design diagnostic or therapeutic studies on a national level. Moreover, a standardised registration system will allow healthcare providers to assess the quality of care.
Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland.
Bawarjan
B
Schatlo
Christian
C
Fung
Ali-Reza
AR
Fathi
Martin
M
Sailer
Kerstin
K
Winkler
Roy Thomas
RT
Daniel
Philippe
P
Bijlenga
Peter
P
Ahlborn
Martin
M
Seule
Daniel
D
Zumofen
Michael
M
Reinert
Christoph
C
Woernle
Martin
M
Stienen
Marc
M
Levivier
Gerhard
G
Hildebrandt
Luigi
L
Mariani
René
R
Bernays
Javier
J
Fandino
Andreas
A
Raabe
Emanuela
E
Keller
Karl
K
Schaller
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D012042:Registries; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy*; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult