Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40416207›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Management and Outcomes of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Atrial Fibrillation Patients: Highlighting Practices in Saudi Arabia.

Abdulaziz M Alghamdi, Osama A Alkulli, Feras Fatani, Fahad S Subahi, Abdullah F Tayeb, Arwa Alghamdi, Moajeb Alzahrani, Fahad Almehmadi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Abdulaziz M AlghamdiCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Osama A AlkulliCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Feras FataniCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Fahad S SubahiCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Abdullah F TayebCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Arwa AlghamdiCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Moajeb AlzahraniDepartment of Neurosurgery, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, SAU.
Fahad AlmehmadiDepartment of Cardiac Sciences, King Faisal Cardiac Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, SAU.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAtrial fibrillation (Afib) requires anticoagulation to prevent strokes; however, it concurrently increases the risk of bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Balancing thromboembolism prevention with bleeding risk is challenging, and guideline variations add uncertainty. Evaluating patient factors and ICH management is key to optimizing treatment and outcomes.

methodsThis is a retrospective cohort study conducted in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This design is particularly well-suited for studying rare events like ICH, as it enables the inclusion of a larger sample size over an extended time period without the need for a long follow-up. Patients were identified through medical records of those with Afib on anticoagulation who developed ICH, confirmed by brain CT. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the management, outcome, and prognosis of ICH in these patients. The secondary endpoint was to assess the association between clinicopathological features and in-hospital mortality.

resultsA total of 36 patients were included in this study. Patients who were ≥ 70 years old accounted for 52.7%, and males constituted 61.1% of the patients. Spontaneous ICH was seen in 72.2%, while the rest were traumatic in origin. Conservative management was done in 80.5%; 69.4% had their Afib medication ceased upon admission, and only 66.6% of those had their Afib medications resumed. The factors associated with mortality during hospital admission included higher BMI (30.2 (26.3-33.1) vs. 25.1 (22.1-29.2), P = 0.0255), diabetes (14 (82.3%) vs. 8 (42.1%), P = 0.0134), higher International Normalized Ratio (INR) (1.8 (1.2-2) vs. 1.2 (1.1-1.3), P = 0.0356), spontaneous ICH (15 (88.2%) vs. 11 (57.8%), P = 0.0425), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤ 8 (15 (88.2%) vs. 4 (21.0%), P = 0.0002). Regarding the outcome, 47.2% passed away during their hospital stay. Upon discharge, 78.9% had a GCS score of ≥ 14; apixaban was the most common medication prescribed (42.1%). The follow-up periods of the discharged patients had a median of 445 days; 33.3% passed away, while only 5.5% of them developed a recurrent ischemic stroke.

conclusionOur findings revealed that ICH in Afib patients is associated with high mortality and overall poor prognosis. There is a clear need for standardized management guidelines. Further studies are essential to establish evidence-based recommendations and reach reliable conclusions to improve patient outcomes.

Indexed as

anti-coagulantanti-plateletatrial fibrillationblood thinnersintracranial hemorrhagemedication holiday

Identifiers

PMID40416207
PMCPMC12102585

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.