Predicting Shunt-Dependency After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Multicenter Validation Study

Background: The clinical utility of risk scores predicting shunt dependency after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains limited due to scarce validation data. This multicenter pooled analysis aimed to assess the predictive accuracy of existing post-aSAH shunt risk scores. Methods: Consecutive aSAH cases treated at two German university hospitals from January 2010 to July 2023 were pooled into a validation cohort. Total scores for the CHESS, CHESS-Huckman, and SDASH risk models were calculated, and their diagnostic performance was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: A total of 813 patients were included, of whom 215 (26.4%) required ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement within a median time of 29 days post-aSAH. All three risk scores were significantly associated with shunt dependency. ROC analysis showed that the CHESS-Huckman score had the highest predictive accuracy (AUC: 0.792, 95% CI: 0.761–0.824), followed by the SDASH (AUC: 0.782, 95% CI: 0.750–0.814) and CHESS (AUC: 0.780, 95% CI: 0.748–0.812) scores. Pairwise comparisons of AUCs were not statistically significant. All three scores showed good overall calibration, with CHESS–Huckman performing best, as confirmed by calibration intercepts and slopes, Brier scores, and decile-based analysis. Higher CHESS–Huckman scores correlated with earlier shunt placement, whereas delayed shunting (>30 days after aSAH) was most common in patients with moderate CHESS–Huckman scores (7–8 points), occurring in 47.4% of cases compared to 41.4% and 33.3% in patients scoring 0–6 and 9–10 points, respectively. Conclusions: This multicenter analysis validated existing risk scores for predicting shunt dependency after aSAH, with the CHESS–Huckman score demonstrating the nominally highest diagnostic accuracy. Integrating these risk scores into clinical practice could enhance early identification of patients requiring shunting, potentially reducing external ventricular drain weaning time, shortening hospital stays, and lowering the risk of cerebrospinal fluid infections.