Serum D-dimer as a predictor of mortality in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

It has been found that the hemostatic system is activated following a brain injury. To explore the role of D-dimer in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), this prospective study aimed to evaluate the association between serum D-dimer concentration, clinical outcome and radiographic findings of ICH patients in the emergency department (ED). Patients with acute (<24 hours) spontaneous ICH were enrolled in this study. The D-dimer concentration was related to: baseline ICH volume (r = 0.198, p = 0.01); Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 3-8 (p = 0.01); GCS score 13-15 (p = 0.002); midline shift >15 mm (p = 0.016); and to subarachnoid extension of the blood (p < 0.0001). Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR]: 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-7.76, p = 0.031), ICH volume (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07-1.27, p < 0.0001) and D-dimer concentration (OR: 2.72; 95% CI: 1.08-6.9, p = 0.002) were associated with 30-day mortality. This study shows that in patients with spontaneous ICH, a higher initial D-dimer concentration is associated with higher 30-day mortality.