title: Neurological deterioration in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke.
abstract: A study was conducted for 121 patients (55 female, 66 male; age 68.7 +/- 10.4 years) with first-ever ischemic stroke to investigate the frequency and risk factors of early neurological deterioration (ND). The initial evaluation was carried out within 24 hours of stroke onset. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and Barthel index were used to evaluate patients for a period of 2 months. Thirty-eight patients (31.4%) showed early ND and 83 patients (68.6%) were stable or improved. Among the 38 patients with ND, 25 (65.8%) patients occurred within 48 hours after initial evaluation. In most patients, ND began on the first day and ceased on the third day after stroke onset. Neurological function started to improve after ND reaching the nadir. The mortality rate was 13.2% (5/38) for patients with ND and 1.2% (1/83) for patients without deterioration. At the end of the study, the functional ability and motility of patients were lower in the progressive group than in the non-progressive/stable group. Results of this study seem to indicate that an elevated C-reactive protein level and total anterior circulation infarction are risk factors for ND. The results also suggest that more aggressive and early treatments are needed for stroke patients to prevent disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan. ctong98@yahoo.com.tw
authors.forename: Cheung-Ter
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Chi-Shun
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*