Predictors of acute poststroke seizures.
BACKGROUND
In this study, we tried to identify predictors of acute poststroke seizures (aPSS) in stroke patients.


METHODS
We analyzed a large prospective hospital-based stroke registry in Germany. 58,874 patients with the diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA), ischemic stroke (IS) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) were admitted within 24 h after symptom onset. Predictors for aPSS were identified using multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, stroke severity, vascular risk factors, acute nonneurologic infection, history of TIA and length of hospital stay.


RESULTS
aPSS occurred in 0.7% of patients with TIA (mean duration of hospitalization 8 days), in 2.2% of patients with IS (12 days) and in 5.1% of patients with ICH (13 days). A lower age, a higher stroke severity, acute nonneurologic infection, a history of diabetes mellitus and a history of preceding TIA were identified to be independent predictors of aPSS in IS, whereas younger age, acute infection and a history of TIA were found predictive for aPSS in ICH.


CONCLUSIONS
This study characterized so far unknown predictors of aPSS and may help to improve the identification of patients with a high risk of aPSS.
Asklepios Neurological Hospital Falkenstein, Königstein/Taunus, Germany. k.krakow@asklepios.com
Karsten
K
Krakow
Matthias
M
Sitzer
Felix
F
Rosenow
Helmuth
H
Steinmetz
Christian
C
Foerch
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult