title: Impact of neurological and medical complications on 3-month outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of neurological and medical complications on 3-month outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively investigated complications for all the consecutive acute ischaemic stroke patients admitted within 7 days from onset in four university hospitals during a 1-year period. Baseline data and 3-month outcomes were collected. Poor outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score 3-6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1 254 patients were recruited: 264 (21.1%) and 303 (24.2%) patients experienced one or more neurological and medical complications, respectively. The most common complications were ischaemic stroke progression (17.1%) and pneumonia (12.0%). Of 1 233 patients with available 3-month outcomes, 34.9% had a poor outcome. Multivariate analysis revealed that neurological (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval; 5.47, 3.63-8.24) and medical (3.47, 2.30-5.23) complications were independent predictors of the poor outcome. For the individual complications, ischaemic stroke progression (7.48, 4.73-11.84), symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (3.57, 1.33-9.54), pneumonia (4.44, 2.20-8.99), extracranial bleeding (4.45, 1.88-10.53), and urinary tract infection (2.72, 1.32-5.60) were independently associated with the poor outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outcome after ischaemic stroke is adversely influenced by complications, especially ischaemic stroke progression, symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation, pneumonia, extracranial bleeding, and urinary tract infection. Interventions to prevent those complications might improve ischaemic stroke outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Research Center, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Goyang, Korea. nrhks@ilsanpaik.ac.kr
authors.forename: K-S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: D-W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: J-S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: B-C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality