Abstract W P189: Characteristics of Rural Pre-Hospital Stroke Transports

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Whiteman ◽  
Debra Paulson ◽  
Rosanna Sikora ◽  
Russell Doerr ◽  
Stephen Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Life Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Critical Access Hospital ◽  
Suspected Stroke ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: West Virginia (WV) is the second most rural state and has a stroke prevalence of 3%. According to the United States Census Bureau, 97.3% of the land is considered rural and 51.3% of the population lives in a rural area. EMS transport times in Northern WV often exceed 20 minutes in rural counties. Little data has been published about EMS response to acute stroke patients in the rural setting. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of EMS response and interventions for patients with chief complaint of stroke in the MedCom database providing medical command for 26 northern WV counties. Stroke encounters from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2011 were analyzed for EMS provider capability, receiving hospital capability, and pre-hospital interventions. Results: There were 7,594 transports available for analysis. Basic Life Support (BLS) responders provided 7.0% of the care. The majority of the patients, 51.6%, were transported to an acute care hospital, 11.6% to a critical access hospital, and 36.9% to a designated stroke center. Blood glucose was determined by glucometer in 66.4% of patients with 2.0% treated for hypoglycemia. Vascular access was attempted in 92.6% of the patients and was successful in 81.5%. Cardiac monitor was applied in 92.4% of the patients and oxygen saturation was determined by pulse oximetry in 95.8%. Oxygen therapy was administered to 96.5% of the patients. Discussion: In rural northern WV, 7% of the suspected stroke patients had care by only a BLS responder. Although evaluation at a designated stroke center has been shown to increase the chance for receiving acute thrombolytic intervention, less than 40% of patients in northern WV were initially seen at a designated stroke center and 11.6% were initially seen at a critical access hospital. Consequently, even critical access hospitals need to be prepared to rapidly evaluate and treat patients with suspected ischemic stroke. Blood glucose was not checked by EMS personnel in more than 30% of all transports. Additional studies are needed to assess the impact of these pre-hospital procedures and transport destination decisions on suspected stroke patient outcomes in the rural setting.

scholarly journals Prehospital time of suspected stroke patients treated by emergency medical service: a nationwide study in Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phantakan Tansuwannarat ◽  
Pongsakorn Atiksawedparit ◽  
Arrug Wibulpolprasert ◽  
Natdanai Mankasetkit
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Service ◽  
Medical Service ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
National Database ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Suspected Stroke ◽  
Prehospital Time

Abstract Background This work was to study the prehospital time among suspected stroke patients who were transported by an emergency medical service (EMS) system using a national database. Methods National EMS database of suspected stroke patients who were treated by EMS system across 77 provinces of Thailand between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, was retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data (i.e., regions, shifts, levels of ambulance, and distance to the scene) and prehospital time (i.e., dispatch, activation, response, scene, and transportation time) were extracted. Time parameters were also categorized according to the guidelines. Results Total 53,536 subjects were included in the analysis. Most of the subjects were transported during 06.00-18.00 (77.5%) and were 10 km from the ambulance parking (80.2%). Half of the subjects (50.1%) were served by advanced life support (ALS) ambulance. Median total time was 29 min (IQR 21, 39). There was a significant difference of median total time among ALS (30 min), basic (27 min), and first responder (28 min) ambulances, Holm P = 0.009. Although 91.7% and 88.3% of the subjects had dispatch time ≤ 1 min and activation time ≤ 2 min, only 48.3% had RT ≤ 8 min. However, 95% of the services were at the scene ≤ 15 min. Conclusion Prehospital time from EMS call to hospital was approximately 30 min which was mainly utilized for traveling from the ambulance parking to the scene and transporting patients from the scene to hospitals. Even though only 48% of the services had RT ≤ 8 min, 95% of them had the scene time ≤ 15 min.

scholarly journals Impact of Rapid PCR Influenza Testing on the Rate of Inpatient Admissions During Influenza Season at a Tertiary-Care Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s263-s264
Author(s):  
Jordan Polistico ◽  
Avnish Sandhu ◽  
Teena Chopra ◽  
Erin Goldman ◽  
Jennifer LeRose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Season ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care Center ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Rapid Pcr ◽  
The Impact

Background: Influenza causes a high burden of disease in the United States, with an estimate of 960,000 hospitalizations in the 2017–2018 flu season. Traditional flu diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have a longer (24 hours or more) turnaround time that may lead to an increase in unnecessary inpatient admissions during peak influenza season. A new point-of-care rapid PCR assays, Xpert Flu, is an FDA-approved PCR test that has a significant decrease in turnaround time (2 hours). The present study sought to understand the impact of implementing a new Xpert Flu test on the rate of inpatient admissions. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to compare rates of inpatient admissions in patients tested with traditional flu PCR during the 2017–2018 flu season and the rapid flu PCR during the 2018–2019 flu season in a tertiary-care center in greater Detroit area. The center has 1 pediatric hospital (hospital A) and 3 adult hospitals (hospital B, C, D). Patients with influenza-like illness who presented to all 4 hospitals during 2 consecutive influenza seasons were analyzed. Results: In total, 20,923 patients were tested with either the rapid flu PCR or the traditional flu PCR. Among these, 14,124 patients (67.2%) were discharged from the emergency department and 6,844 (32.7%) were admitted. There was a significant decrease in inpatient admissions in the traditional flu PCR group compared to the rapid flu PCR group across all hospitals (49.56% vs 26.6% respectively; P < .001). As expected, a significant proportion of influenza testing was performed in the pediatric hospital, 10,513 (50.2%). A greater reduction (30% decrease in the rapid flu PCR group compared to the traditional flu PCR group) was observed in inpatient admissions in the pediatric hospital (Table 1) Conclusions: Rapid molecular influenza testing can significantly decrease inpatient admissions in a busy tertiary-care hospital, which can indirectly lead to improved patient quality with easy bed availability and less time spent in a private room with droplet precautions. Last but not the least, this testing method can certainly lead to lower healthcare costs.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Abstract P862: Successes and Impact of a Statewide Stroke Education Campaign for Healthcare Providers

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia N Jones ◽  
Janna Pietrzak ◽  
Kylie Picou ◽  
Mindy Cook ◽  
Adela Santana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Dakota ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Everyday Practice ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The North Dakota Mission: Lifeline Stroke program is a 3-year initiative which aims to improve statewide stroke systems of care. Due to complexities in recognizing and treating stroke patients, effective education of prehospital and hospital health care providers on guideline-based assessments and treatment methods were identified as an essential intervention. In person lectures, conferences, workshops, stroke simulation trainings, online courses, webinars, and a stroke certification program were deployed throughout the project. Purpose: The purpose of the post-education survey was to determine the impact, value, and success of different types of education provided during the project. Methods: North Dakota healthcare professionals (n=221) completed a 20-question online survey about their experiences participating in the stroke trainings provided from 2017 to 2020. Results: Survey respondents consisted of 76 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers and 145 hospital-based healthcare professionals. The majority of hospital-based staff respondents were nurses (80.1%), while most EMS-based respondents were paramedics or EMTs (75.0%). Half of all respondents (49.8%) participated in 2 or more educational offerings. Respondents were asked to rank the educational offerings in which they participated in by order of the benefit to their everyday practice. The two highest ranking educational offerings were the Advanced Stroke Life Support Class (mean rank=1.6) and Simulation in Motion (SIM) ND (mean rank=2.3). More than 90% of respondents stated that these trainings were extremely or very applicable to their everyday practice. When asked about the overall impact of all the educational offerings they participated in, almost all (92.6%) respondents indicated they agree that because of the trainings they have a better understanding of the key issues related to caring for stroke patients. Conclusions: Overall, the comprehensive survey provides concrete evidence and feedback that multi-modal education campaigns are well-received and effective in furthering awareness of guideline-based stroke assessments and treatment methods. Activities with a kinesthetic learning approach were found to be especially well-received.

Abstract TP383: Ischemic Stroke Patients With Diabetes Looking for Practices in Need of Improvement

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Bautista ◽  
Sally Gerard
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
Care Outcomes ◽  
Stroke Center

Background/Purpose: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes is an independent risk factor for stroke. Diabetes is a common co-morbidity in stroke patients and is associated with poor outcomes after stroke. Get with the Guidelines - Stroke (GWTG-S) Registry database provides a rich opportunity to look at disease-specific data and find opportunities for improving care. The purpose of this study was to examine specific elements of acute ischemic stroke care in patients with diabetes using the GWTG-S at Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers in Northeast of America. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study at both a Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Center. The analysis focused on patients with ischemic stroke and diabetes entered in the GWTG-S from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Data were analyzed looking at measures specific to stroke and the presence of diabetes. General demographic data were examined to compare populations and quality outcome measures. Results: The sample of patients with ischemic stroke and diabetes was over 1,000 patient’s at the two sites (Comprehensive site N = 804, Primary site N = 203) Incidence of ischemic stroke with diabetes at the two sites were 32% and 26%, respectively. Demographic data were similar in most categories including age, race, and gender. Significant differences were found in regard to the type of insurance. Stroke care outcomes indicated thrombolytic administration rates were the same at 8%. Diabetes care outcomes indicated patients discharged on insulin occurred in 18% to 26% of the sample. Conclusion/Implications for Practice: Ischemic stroke patients with diabetes were shown to receive similar care at both a comprehensive and primary care stroke center. There were no differences between centers in thrombolysis treatment for ischemic stroke patients with diabetes. Several opportunities for improvement in diabetes-related care need to be addressed.

scholarly journals A Study On Health-Related Quality of Life Among The Stroke Patients In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Mangalore

2018 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 007-010
Author(s):  
G Shiny Chrism Queen Nesan ◽  
Rashmi Kundapur
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Physical Domain ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Poor General Health ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction : Stroke is a leading cause of death and acquired human disability in India. One dimension that is rarely measured, is health-related quality of life (HRQOL) which aims to assess the impact of disease from the perspective of the patient. Objectives : To study the health-related quality of life among stroke patients within 3 months of stroke. Materials & Methods : A hospital based study conducted on 20 stroke patients from the registry. The patients with fresh stroke attack and those who were attending the follow up within the first 3 months of the attack were enrolled in the study. Basic demographic data and the data of stroke outcomes were taken. HRQOL was evaluated using the Indian version of the Medical Outcomes Study 36 item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Frequency and percentages were calculated. Results: It was seen that majority (55%) of patients expressed a fair physical domain post stroke. About 40% were of opinion that their physical domain was poor and the rest said that it was good (5%). Assessing the psychological domain, majority of the patients said it was poor. Of the 20 patients, 15 (75%) of them were scaled to have poor social domain and the rest (25%) said it was fair. About half (50%) of the patients showed that they had poor environmental domain. About 15% of them said that it was good. Majority (60%) of the patients had poor general health status.

scholarly journals 566. Reduction of Hospital-Onset Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bacteremia in an Acute Care Hospital: Impact of Bundles and Universal Decolonization

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S268-S268
Author(s):  
Adriana Jimenez ◽  
Kathleen Sposato ◽  
Alicia de Leon-Sanchez ◽  
Regina Williams ◽  
Reynande Francois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background MRSA is a major concern for hospitalized patients in the United States. Hospital-Onset (HO) MRSA bacteremia is used as a proxy measurement of MRSA healthcare acquisition, exposure, and infection burden. HO MRSA bacteremia standardized infection ratio (SIR) is used by several national agencies as a quality report metric. Our institution had more than expected HO MRSA bacteremia cases despite several interventions. We describe the impact of a bundle of interventions aimed to decrease HO MRSA bacteremia in an acute care facility. Methods This quality improvement project was implemented in a 380-bed community hospital in Miami, FL from January 2015 to March 2019. HO MRSA bacteremia was defined as non-duplicate MRSA isolated from a blood culture collected >3 days after admission. SIR was calculated dividing the number of observed events by the number of predicted events; predicted events were obtained from the NHSN report. During baseline period (Figure1 Phase 1 January 2015–August 2016) all adult patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) were screened for MRSA nasal colonization on admission and weekly thereafter, ICU patients received daily Chlorhexidine (CHG) bathing, and colonized/infected patients with MRSA were placed in contact precautions. In Phase 2 (September 2016–June 2017)daily CHG bathing was switched from 2% wipes to 4% soap foam and expanded to all adult patients; ICU patients also received nasal decolonization with mupirocin. Nasal mupirocin in ICU was replaced with alcohol-based nasal sanitizer for all adult units in July 2017 (Phase 3). In April 2017 we discontinued using contact precautions for MRSA patients; nasal surveillance cultures were discontinued in October 2017. In May 2018 (Phase 4) we introduced alcohol-based wipes for patient hand hygiene at the bedside. SIR were compared by exact binomial test. Results We observed 48 HO MRSA bacteremia cases during the study period. The SIR decreased from 3.66 to 0.97 from baseline to postintervention periods (P = 0.003). The largest decrease in cases and SIR was attained using combined hospital-wide daily CHG bathing, alcohol-based nasal sanitizer, and alcohol wipes for patient hand hygiene during Phase 4 (Table 1). Conclusion Our bundle of interventions for universal decolonization was successful in decreasing HO MRSA bacteremia. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals P105: Transforming emergency stroke care through innovation: Canadas first stroke ambulance

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S94-S94
Author(s):  
L. Morrison ◽  
S. Amlani ◽  
T. Jeerakathil ◽  
A. Shuaib ◽  
H. Kalashyan
Keyword(s):  
Health Economic ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Health Economic Analysis ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Suspected Stroke

Introduction: A two-year Stroke Ambulance (SA) pilot project was implemented at the University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) in February, 2017, the first in the world to utilize this specialized technology in a rural setting. The primary objective is to evaluate clinical and economic implications of timely SA assessment and treatment of hyperacute stroke patients who present to non-stroke centres in rural Alberta and might otherwise have received delayed treatment, or not at all, due to prolonged transfer times. Methods: A steering committee and seven working groups were established, with representation from Alberta Health Services (AHS) programs impacted, to ensure comprehensive project development and implementation. The SA portable CT scanner, point of care laboratory, and videoconference system facilitate diagnosis of stroke in the field. The multidisciplinary team includes a stroke fellow, advanced & primary care paramedics, registered nurse, CT technologist, and telestroke physician. When not dispatched, the team provides stroke expertise and patient care in the emergency department (ED) and diagnostic imaging. The service model includes suspected stroke patients presenting to non-stroke centres within a 250 Km radius of Edmonton (Phase I); patients presenting to Edmonton Zone (EZ) hospitals without CT capability and/or tPA protocols (Phase 2); and expedited transport from EZ hospitals to the UAH for urgent endovascular therapy (EVT) (Phase 3). A health economic analysis will compare stroke ambulance care with standard care. Results: The SA has responded to 54 dispatches, 13 patients thrombolyzed and 3 patients receiving EVT. Median rendezvous to CT time was 10 minutes, median rendezvous to tPA time was 21 minutes, and mean time from symptom onset to tPA was 180 minutes. There were no complications. After SA imaging and assessment, 18 patients were repatriated back to their local community hospital, avoiding unnecessary admission to tertiary care. Conclusion: Our preliminary experience demonstrates that the SA offers a novel approach to performing timely evaluation and treatment of suspected stroke from non-stroke centres and may serve as an excellent triage mechanism, reducing avoidable admissions to overcapacity tertiary care EDs. The SA team provides added value to the ED with stroke expertise and patient care. A comprehensive health economic analysis will determine cost-effectiveness and whether spread is feasible.

scholarly journals The stroke mothership model survived during COVID-19 era: an observational single-center study in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 3395-3399
Author(s):  
Andrea Zini ◽  
Michele Romoli ◽  
Mauro Gentile ◽  
Ludovica Migliaccio ◽  
Cosimo Picoco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Minor Stroke ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction A reduction of the hospitalization and reperfusion treatments was reported during COVID-19 pandemic. However, high variability in results emerged, potentially due to logistic paradigms adopted. Here, we analyze stroke code admissions, hospitalizations, and stroke belt performance for ischemic stroke patients in the metropolitan Bologna region, comparing temporal trends between 2019 and 2020 to define the impact of COVID-19 on the stroke network. Methods This retrospective observational study included all people admitted at the Bologna Metropolitan Stroke Center in timeframes 1 March 2019–30 April 2019 (cohort-2019) and 1 March 2020–30 April 2020 (cohort-2020). Diagnosis, treatment strategy, and timing were compared between the two cohorts to define temporal trends. Results Overall, 283 patients were admitted to the Stroke Center, with no differences in demographic factors between cohort-2019 and cohort-2020. In cohort-2020, transient ischemic attack (TIA) was significantly less prevalent than 2019 (6.9% vs 14.4%, p = .04). Among 216 ischemic stroke patients, moderate-to-severe stroke was more represented in cohort-2020 (17.8% vs 6.2%, p = .027). Similar proportions of patients underwent reperfusion (45.9% in 2019 vs 53.4% in 2020), although a slight increase in combined treatment was detected (14.4% vs 25.4%, p = .05). Door-to-scan timing was significantly prolonged in 2020 compared with 2019 (28.4 ± 12.6 vs 36.7 ± 14.6, p = .03), although overall timing from stroke to treatment was preserved. Conclusion During COVID-19 pandemic, TIA and minor stroke consistently reduced compared to the same timeframe in 2019. Longer stroke-to-call and door-to-scan times, attributable to change in citizen behavior and screening at hospital arrival, did not impact on stroke-to-treatment time. Mothership model might have minimized the effects of the pandemic on the stroke care organization.

Abstract 207: The Stroke Prevention Clinic, Extending Care Past The Stroke Center

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Johnson ◽  
Binta Bojang ◽  
Jaime Butler ◽  
Victor C Urrutia
Keyword(s):  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
The United States ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
List Type ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prevention Clinic

Background: While the incidence and mortality from stroke in the United States has declined in the past 20 years, there are still more than 795,000 strokes per year, of which 185,000 are recurrent events. There remains great disparity between racial groups -the incidence and mortality among African Americans, is two to four times higher than Non-Hispanic Whites. Despite great advances in drug therapies, the impact on stroke prevention has not been fully realized. There is a need for improved delivery of effective treatments. Several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of a comprehensive; clinic based, navigator-assisted approach to disease management, although in the context of specific clinical situations. Examples are, SAMMPRIS, and Look AHEAD. We propose that learning from the development of the “stroke center” for acute stroke care, we may apply a similar model to stroke prevention. We have created a Stroke Prevention Clinic (SPC), organized like an outpatient “stroke center”, offering evaluation, treatment, and long-term follow up of patients for risk factor control and lifestyle interventions for secondary prevention. Our Stroke Prevention Nurse is an integral part of this model. In this abstract we report the impact of this program on follow up rates. Methods: In 2011 we launched our SPC. The specific elements of this program included: A Stroke Prevention Nurse: a. Meets the patient in the hospital. b. Facilitates scheduling of appointments, including in the SPC, which is given to the patient upon discharge. c. Calls the patient within 7 days to do medication reconciliation and answer questions. Also, at 90 days for a modified Rankin score and whenever it is necessary to follow up on blood pressure readings. d. Administers screening tools upon follow up, consents for research studies. e. Educates the patient on stroke prevention. Dedicated day for clinic. All providers in the same area. Use of Advance Practice Nurse and stroke fellows, as well as vascular neurology attending. Database. We assessed the proportion of completed appointments within 90 days after discharge from the hospital and compared it with the year prior to implementation. Results: A sample from July 2010 to February 2011 revealed completed follow up by 90 days of 28.3% (70/247), for the period July 2011 to February 2012 the proportion was 35.6% (89/250). During calendar year 2014, 54.3% (233/429) completed their appointments within 90 days. Conclusion: Implementation of the Stroke Prevention Clinic increased follow up completion within 90 days of discharge.

Abstract WP289: The Impact of Infection on Neurological Deterioration and Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia K Boehme ◽  
Andre D Kumar ◽  
Adrianne M Dorsey ◽  
James E Siegler ◽  
Michael J Lyerly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Neurological Deterioration ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Poor Functional Outcome ◽  
Acute Hospitalization ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: To date, few studies have assessed the influence of infection on neurological deterioration (ND) and other outcome measures in acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Patients admitted to our stroke center (07/08-12/10) were retrospectively assessed. Patients were excluded if they had an in-hospital stroke, unknown time of symptom onset, or delay from symptom onset to hospital arrival >48 hours. Positive blood or urine culture, or chest x-ray consistent with pneumonia were classified as infection and stratified according to whether the infection was diagnosed within the first 24 hours of admission or after 24 hours. ND was defined as an increase ≥2 points on the NIHSS score within a 24hr period. Poor functional outcome was defined as a mRS score of 3-6 on discharge. Results: Of the 334 patients included in this study, 78 had an infection (19 on admission). The majority of infections were found in the urinary tract (64%), while pneumonia (37%) and bacteremia (24%) were also common. Infection on admission was predictive of ND (Table 1; OR=2.79, 95% CI 1.18-6.64, p=0.0211) and poor functional outcome (OR=3.0, 95% CI 1.1-7.9, p=0.0182). Developing an infection during acute hospitalization was an even stronger predictor of ND (OR=11.9, 95% CI 5.8-24.5, p<0.0001) and poor functional outcome (OR=56.4, 95% CI 7.7-414, p<0.0001). After adjusting for age, NIHSS at baseline and glucose on admission, the development of an infection during acute hospitalization remained a significant predictor of ND (OR=8.9, 95% CI 4.2-18.6, p<0.0001) and poor functional outcome (OR=41.7, 95% CI 5.2-337.9, p=0.005) while an infection on admission was no longer predictive of ND (OR=1.5, 95%CI 0.59-3.99, p=0.3738) or poor functional outcome (OR=1.09, 95%CI 0.3-3.9, p=0.8984). Conclusion: Our data suggest that ischemic stroke patients who develop an infection during their acute hospitalization are at increased odds of experiencing ND and of being discharged with significant disability.

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