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Risk Factors for Stroke Associated Pneumonia
حسن عزيز الحمداني
Authors :
Abstract: Background: stroke associated pneumonia is a major cause of poor outcome afterstroke. It increases the death rate among stroke patients by 3 fold in 30 days. We aimed at identifying factors that could predict the development of stroke associated pneumonia in acute stroke patients. Aim of study: to evaluate the risk factors that predict the development of pneumonia in acute stroke patients (stroke-associated pneumonia).Patient and method: we prospectively examined a series of acute stroke patients >18 years old admitted within 7 days of onset of symptoms who progressed to have a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia within the first 10 days of admission for the frequency of a predefined set of variables concluded from previous studies. Results: Over the period of 10 months, 46 patients were included, of which 52.2%were males, mean age was 64.98 years, 69.6% of them had hemorrhagic stroke,52.2% of them had left brain stroke while 8.7% of them were bilateral. Per the Oxford Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification, 47.8% of them had Total Anterior Circulation Syndrome (TACS); 43.5% of them had Partial Anterior Circulation Syndrome (PACS); and 8.7% of them had Posterior Circulation Syndrome (POCS). We found that their National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was high (mean = 17.3 ± 4.79, median = 17), but there premorbid disability measured by the modified Rankin Scale was low (mean = 0.78 ± 1.576, median =0). Dysphagia was present in 82.6% of the patients, and 91.3% of them were hypertensive. Examining for oral health revealed that 76.1% of our patients had badoral health. Factors that were infrequent among our patients were diabetes mellitus (28.3%); smoking (26.1%); history of chronic respiratory illness (8.7%); atrial fibrillation (4.3%); and congestive heart failure (0%). Conclusion: Age, stroke severity, hypertension, and dysphagia, were the most outstanding risk factors associated with development of SAP. On the other hand, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, congestive failure of heart, long-lasting pulmonary illness, plus weak relation between SAP and smocking.

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December 2020