title: The impact of hyperthermia and infection on acute ischemic stroke patients in the intensive care unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the recognized deleterious effects of hyperthermia on critically ill neurological patients, few investigations have studied hyperthermia after an ischemic stroke in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to the ICU were assigned to one of three groups: normothermia, mild hyperthermia (MH), or severe hyperthermia (SH). The etiology of hyperthermia was further divided into infectious and non-infectious groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 150 patients included in the study, MH and SH were observed in 15 and 40 patients, respectively. Hyperthermia and the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score were independently related to in-hospital mortality and increased length of stay in the ICU (ILOS, > or =4 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection (39 patients) was more prevalent in the SH group than in the MH group and was associated with greater ILOS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring and managing infection and reducing body temperature may be important factors for determining the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine at Guro Hospital, Seoul, 152-703, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo-Keun
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kun-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seong-Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy