title: The impact of pneumonia on hospital stay among patients hospitalized for acute stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of pneumonia on length of hospital stay in cases of acute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cross-sectional study on 368 stroke patients admitted with a diagnosis of stroke at the Avicenna Hospital, Qazvin, Iran between January 2010 and March 2011. By reviewing the hospital patient records, the demographic characteristics, stroke characteristics, and complications of stroke in these patients were determined during their hospital stay. In surviving patients, the impact of each variable on length of hospital stay was calculated by logistic regression analysis and the Log-Rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with pneumonia during the post stroke period had an increased length of hospital stay (11.5+/-6.4 days), compared with other patients (7.2+/-4.1 days), (p=0.0005). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between length of hospital stay and urinary tract infection (p=0.001), steroid consumption (p=0.028), index of stroke severity (p=0.039), pneumonia (p=0.042), and swallowing disorder (p=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the impact of pneumonia on the length of hospital stay and its consequences, prophylactic activities, rapid diagnosis, and treatment of pneumonia may improve outcome and reduce costs in stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bijani
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mozhdehipanah
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jahanihashemi
authors.forename: Samaneh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azizi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*