title: A prediction model of 1-year mortality for acute ischemic stroke patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a prediction model for 1-year mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke, with the model to be at least as useful and accurate as other previously developed prediction models.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neurology department at an Australian tertiary teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred forty consecutive patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1997.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred twenty-three (51%) patients were randomly assigned to the derivation sample to develop a prediction model using the Cox proportional hazards model. The model was then validated in a validation sample of 217 (49%) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-year mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight clinical predictors were included in the final model: unconsciousness (3 points), dysphagia (7 points), urinary incontinence (9 points), both sides affected (4 points), hyperthermia (4 points), ischemic heart disease (3 points), peripheral vascular disease (3 points), and diabetes mellitus (2 points). Patients with scores of 10 or higher were allocated to the high-risk group, which had a 1-year mortality rate of 76%, compared with a 1-year mortality rate of 8% in the low-risk group. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value in the validation sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed a predictive model for 1-year mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients. The model is easy to use and is comparable in its accuracy with other predictive models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lynette L-Y
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Levi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D003644:Death Certificates; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012372:ROC Curve; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D016019:Survival Analysis