Background and aim: Early diagnosis and treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is thought to be critical for improving outcomes. We examined whether racial or ethnic disparities exist in acute care processes in the first hours after ICH.
Methods: We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively collected cohort of consecutive patients with spontaneous primary ICH presenting to a single urban tertiary care center. Acute care processes studied included time to computerized tomography (CT) scan, time from CT to inpatient bed request, and time from bed request to hospital admission. Clinical outcomes included mortality, Glasgow Outcome Scale, and modified Rankin Scale.
Results: Four hundred fifty-nine patients presented with ICH between 2006 and 2018 and met inclusion criteria (55% male; 75% non-Hispanic White [NHW]; mean age of 73). In minutes, median time to CT was 43 (interquartile range [IQR] 28, 83), time to bed request was 62 (IQR 33, 114), and time to admission was 142 (IQR 95, 232). In a multivariable analysis controlling for demographic factors, clinical factors, and disease severity, race/ethnicity had no effect on acute care processes. English language, however, was independently associated with slower times to CT (β = 30.7 min, 95% CI 9.9 to 51.4, p = 0.004) and to bed request (β = 32.8 min, 95% CI 5.5 to 60.0, p = 0.02). Race/ethnicity and English language were not independently associated with worse outcome.
Conclusions: We found no evidence of racial/ethnic disparities in acute care processes or outcomes in ICH. English as first language, however, was associated with slower care processes.
Keywords: Acute care; Emergency medical services; Ethnic groups; Healthcare disparities; Intracranial hemorrhage; Stroke.