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| Stroke-associated infection not independently linked to poor outcome |
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20 February 2006
While stroke-associated infection is a marker of stroke severity, it is not an independent predictor of poor outcome, according to a report in the February issue of Stroke.
The influence of stroke-associated infection on stroke outcome is not clear. Current guidelines for acute stroke management advise against the use of antibiotic prophylaxis. This is supported by the results of a recent trial that found antibiotic prophylaxis does not prevent stroke-associated infection and may actually impair recovery. To further explore this issue, Dr Angel Chamorro, from the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, and colleagues assessed the occurrence of stroke-associated infection and related risk factors in 229 consecutive patients admitted to a neurological ward within 24 hours of stroke onset.
Sixty patients (26%) developed infections, which usually involved the chest, within 3 days of stroke onset. Tube feeding was the strongest risk factor for stroke-associated infection, increasing the odds by 3.2-fold, the report indicates. In addition, tube feeding along with baseline stroke severity score was both strongly linked to poor outcomes at hospital discharge, raising the risk by 16.6- and 10.0-fold, respectively.
Conversely, stroke-associated infection was not an independent predictor of poor outcomes when promptly treated.
Reference:
Stroke 2006; 37 (2): 461-465
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