Effect of body temperature on mortality of acute stroke.
OBJECTIVE
The exact relation between body temperature and mortality of acute stroke victims is poorly understood. However, body temperature can affect the outcome of stroke cases in relation to mortality. In the initial (4-12 hrs) hours of stroke, the temperature rise is often neurogenic in origin and mortality is also higher with raised body temperature. Though the anatomical lesion or nature of lesion along with other established risk factors influence the mortality of stroke cases, change in temperature does affect the outcome of stroke cases. We sought to find out the significance of stroke victim's body temperature (within 4-12 hrs) with respect to short-term mortality rate in our study.


METHODS
We selected 100 ischemic and 100 hemorrhagic stroke patients proved by CT scan of brain and 2-hrly oral temperature was strictly recorded for the initial 4-12 hrs of admission.


RESULTS
It was evident from the study that hyperthermia (>37.5 degrees C) was associated with highest mortality rate in both hemorrhagic (51.78%) and ischemic (56.66%) cases. In normothermic group, mortality was 13.5% and 8.8% in hemorrhagic and ischemic group respectively, whereas hypothermia (<36.5 degrees C) was associated with 0 % mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Hyperthermia in acute stroke victim carries a bad prognostic parameter in short term basis.
Roy
M K
MK
Department of Medicine, RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata 700080 W.B.
Ray
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000401:mortality; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed