The effect of admission physiological variables on 30 day outcome after stroke.
BACKGROUND
Potentially modifiable physiological variables may influence stroke prognosis but their independence from modifiable factors remains unclear.


METHODS
Admission physiological measures (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and blood glucose) and other unmodifiable factors were recorded from patients presenting within 48 hours of stroke. These variables were compared with the outcomes of death and death or dependency at 30 days in multivariate statistical models.


RESULTS
In the 186 patients included in the study, age, atrial fibrillation and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Score were identified as unmodifiable factors independently associated with death and death or dependency. After adjusting for these factors, none of the physiological variables were independently associated with death, while only diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > or = 90 mmHg was associated with death or dependency at 30 days (p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Except for elevated DBP, we found no independent associations between admission physiology and outcome at 30 days in an unselected stroke cohort. Future studies should look for associations in subgroups, or by analysing serial changes in physiology during the early post-stroke period.
Wong
Andrew A
AA
Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia. AndrewA_Wong@health.qld.gov.au
Davis
James P
JP
Schluter
Philip J
PJ
Henderson
Robert D
RD
O'Sullivan
John D
JD
Read
Stephen J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001786:Blood Glucose