The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between race and outcome following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We identified all SAH discharges in New York City during 2003. An adverse outcome was defined as in-hospital death or discharge other than to home. While correcting for age and gender, we examined the effect of race and payor status on outcome following SAH. Forty-four percent of patients with SAH were white. Being white had a significant relationship with outcome when controlled for payor status (odds ratio 0.56). Among self-pay/Medicaid patients, fewer white (52%) individuals suffered poor outcomes than non-white (66%, p=0.03). Our results establish that white patients in New York City with SAH have better outcomes than non-whites. While it is unclear whether this discrepancy is secondary to pathophysiological differences or unidentified social factors, our findings demonstrate that this effect is independent of insurance status, and emphasize the need for further investigation into racial disparities in outcome following SAH.
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