Clinical factors adversely affecting early outcome after brain infarction

PURPOSE AND METHODS: One-hundred-and-nine consecutive patients admitted during the acute phase of a CT-confirmed brain infarction (BI) were studied. Putative adverse influence of demographic and stroke risk factors, previous medical history, clinical presentation, initial and follow-up neurological examination, initial general evaluation, laboratory findings, chest X-ray and electrocardiographic findings, treatment, and topography and etiology of the ischemic insult was analysed. The end-point for assessment was early death (within 30 days). Statistical analysis was performed with univariate analysis and multiple regression. RESULTS: The main adverse factors related to an increased death risk during the first 30 days were, in decreasing order of importance: coma 48-72 hours after admission; stroke occurring in already hospitalized patients; Babinski sign on admission; minor degrees of impairment of consciousness 48-72 hours after admission; stroke related to large artery atherothrombosis and to embolism; a history of early impairment of consciousness; cardiac failure on admission. In 53 lucid patients on admission, only a history of congestive heart failure (CHF) was associated with a reduced survival rate. In 56 patients with impaired consciousness, the presence of a Babinski sign increased death risk, but the main factor predicting a high case-fatality rate was the persistence of consciousness disturbances after 48-72 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of impairment of consciousness, especially coma, 2-3 days after disease onset, and a history of CHF greatly increase the early case fatality rate in patients with acute BI presenting with or without consciousness disturbances at admission, respectively. The use of a prognostic algorythm considering these few variables seems to predict the approximate 30-day fatality rates.