Eur Neurol. 2011;65(2):82-7 doi: 10.1159/000322903. 2011 Jan 21.

Ischemic stroke outcome and early infection: its deleterious effect seems to operate also among tissue plasminogen activator-treated patients

Salat D, Delgado P, Alonso S, Ribó M, Santamarina E, Quintana M, Alvarez-Sabín J, Montaner J.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Infection has been recognized as a significant predictor of outcome for ischemic stroke patients, although the mechanisms by which this association is operative have not been fully established, and their potential roles in a setting of close clinical monitoring, such as that of stroke units offering reperfusion therapies, have not been evaluated.
METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 139 consecutive tissue plasminogen activator-treated stroke patients admitted to our stroke unit to evaluate potential predictors of neurological outcome.
RESULTS: 57 patients (41%) did not show neurological improvement by discharge, and 11.5% died during admission. Infections were related to lack of improvement (29.8 vs. 14.6%; p = 0.03) and PH-type hemorrhagic transformation (42.1 vs. 17.5%; p = 0.014); the latter was associated with a higher mortality rate (26.3 vs. 9.2%; p = 0.03).
CONCLUSIONS: Infection may be associated with poor functional outcome among tissue plasminogen activator-treated stroke patients.

PMID: 21346358