Key result
Over a 19-year period, the in-hospital death rate for acute cardioembolic stroke remained around 20%, while patient age and the prevalence of hypertension significantly increased.
Why the study?
How have the clinical characteristics and early outcomes of patients with acute cardioembolic stroke changed over a 19-year period?
Observational (n=575)
No
How have the clinical characteristics and early outcomes of patients with acute cardioembolic stroke changed over a 19-year period?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Over a 19-year period, patients with acute cardioembolic stroke became older and had more cardiovascular risk factors, with no improvement in the ~20% in-hospital mortality rate despite shorter hospital stays.
OBJECTIVES: To assess changing trends in clinical characteristics and early outcome of patients with acute cardioembolic stroke (ACS) over a 19-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 575 patients with first-ever ACS included in the Sagrat Cor Hospital of Barcelona Stroke Registry were analyzed. Changing trends for 1986-1992, 1993-1998, and 1999-2004 periods were compared. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase (P < 0.001) in the age of patients (74.6 years in 1986-1992 vs. 81.4 years in 1999-2004) and the percentage of patients older than 85 years of age (16% vs. 38.2%) was observed. Patients with hypertension increased from 40.5 to 60.8% (P = 0.001) as were patients with diabetes, chronic bronchitis, and obesity (P = NS). The median length of hospital stay decreased from 18 to 12 days (P = 0.031) and prolonged hospital stay (>12 days) from 18.3 to 13.1 (P = 0.033). In-hospital death rate remained around 20%. CONCLUSIONS: ACS continues to be a severe ischemic stroke subtype with high risk of in-hospital death. The lack of improvement in the early prognosis over a 19-year period may be explained by an increase in the prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and progressive aging of the population.
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Arboix et al. (2012) conducted an observational in Acute cardioembolic stroke (n=575). 1999-2004 period vs. 1986-1992 period was evaluated on In-hospital death rate. Over a 19-year period, the in-hospital death rate for acute cardioembolic stroke remained around 20%, while patient age and the prevalence of hypertension significantly increased.
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