Predicting ICU readmission risks in intracerebral hemorrhage patients: Insights from machine learning models using MIMIC databases

Background Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a stroke subtype characterized by high mortality and complex post-event complications. Research has extensively covered the acute phase of ICH; however, ICU readmission determinants remain less explored. Utilizing the MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV databases, this investigation develops machine learning (ML) models to anticipate ICU readmissions in ICH patients. Methods Retrospective data from 2242 ICH patients were evaluated using ICD-9 codes. Recursive feature elimination with cross-validation (RFECV) discerned significant predictors of ICU readmissions. Four ML models—AdaBoost, RandomForest, LightGBM, and XGBoost—underwent development and rigorous validation. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) elucidated the effect of distinct features on model outcomes. Results ICU readmission rates were 9.6% for MIMIC-III and 10.6% for MIMIC-IV. The LightGBM model, with an AUC of 0.736 (95% CI: 0.668–0.801), surpassed other models in validation datasets. SHAP analysis revealed hydrocephalus, sex, neutrophils, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), specific oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, and creatinine as significant predictors of readmission. Conclusion The LightGBM model demonstrates considerable potential in predicting ICU readmissions for ICH patients, highlighting the importance of certain clinical predictors. This research contributes to optimizing patient care and ICU resource management. Further prospective studies are warranted to corroborate and enhance these predictive insights for clinical utilization.