Relationship Between Mortality and Seizures After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: The relationship between mortality and seizures after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has not yet been understood until now. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the effect of post-ICH seizures on mortality among patients with ICH.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched from the establishment of the databases to December 2021 to identify literature that evaluated the relationship between post-ICH seizures and mortality in ICH. Crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using a random-effects model.

Results: Thirteen studies involving 245,908 participants were eventually included for analysis. The pooled estimate suggested that post-ICH seizures were not associated with significantly increased mortality in patients with ICH (crude odds ratios 1.35, 95% CI: 0.91-2; adjusted adds ratios 1.22, 95% CI: 0.78-1.88). However, the relationship was not consistent in subgroup analysis or robust in a sensitivity analysis.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis proved that post-ICH seizures were not associated with significantly increased mortality in patients with ICH. However, this result could be influenced by confounding factors, so more high-quality research is needed.

Keywords: intracerebral hemorrhage; meta-analysis; mortality; outcome; seizures; systematic review.