Postpartum stroke trends, risk factors, and associated adverse outcomes

Management of postpartum stroke has been the focus of several quality improvement efforts in the past decade. However, there is little recent national trends data for postpartum stroke readmissions.

This study aimed to determine trends, risk factors, and complications associated with postpartum stroke readmission.

The 2013 to 2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to perform a retrospective cohort study that evaluated the risk for readmission for stroke within 60 days of delivery hospitalization discharge. Temporal trends in readmissions were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute's Joinpoint Regression Program to estimate the average annual percent change with 95% confidence intervals. Stratified trends were analyzed for hemorrhage stroke, ischemic stroke, and stroke readmissions at 1 to 10, 11 to 30, and 31 to 60 days after delivery discharge. Risk factors for stroke were analyzed using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals as measures of association. The risk for stroke complications, including mechanical ventilation, seizures, death, and a prolonged stay ≥14 days, was analyzed.

Of an estimated 21,754,603 delivery hospitalizations, 5006 were complicated by a 60-day postpartum readmission with a diagnosis of stroke. The average annual percent change for all stroke readmissions over the study period was not significant (average annual percent change, 0.1%; 95% confidence interval, -2.2% to 2.4%). When the trends in readmission for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were analyzed, the results were similar, as were the stratified analyses by readmission timing. Risk factors associated with increased odds included superimposed preeclampsia (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.9-5.9), preeclampsia with severe features (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 3.0-4.4), maternal cardiac disease (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-3.7), chronic kidney disease (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.4-7.5), and lupus (odds ratio, 7.0; 95% confidence interval, 4.9-10.2). Risk was retained in adjusted analyses. Common stroke-related complications included a prolonged hospital stay ≥14 days (12.1 per 1000 stroke-related readmissions), seizures (9.9 per 1000 stroke-related readmissions), and mechanical ventilation (6.6 per 1000 stroke-related readmissions).

This analysis of nationally representative data demonstrated no change in the rate of 60-day postpartum hospitalizations for stroke from 2013 to 2019. Further clinical research is indicated to optimize risk reduction for stroke after delivery hospitalization discharge.