Predictors of early neurological deterioration in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background The present study aimed to develop a reliable and straightforward Nomogram by integrating various parameters to accurately predict the likelihood of early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods Acute ischemic stroke patients from Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shanghai Yangpu District Shidong Hospital, and Shanghai Fifth People’s Hospital were recruited based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary outcome was END. Using the LASSO logistic model, a predictive Nomogram was generated. The performance of the Nomogram was evaluated using the ROC curve, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and a calibration plot. Additionally, the decision curve analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Nomogram. Results It was found that the Nomogram generated in the present study showed strong discriminatory performance in both the training and the internal validation cohorts when their ROC-AUC values were 0.715 (95% CI 0.648–0.782) and 0.725 (95% CI 0.631–0.820), respectively. Similar results were observed in two external validation cohorts when their ROC-AUC values were 0.685 (95% CI 0.541–0.829) and 0.673 (95% CI 0.545–0.800), respectively. In addition, CAD, SBP, neutrophils, TBil, and LDL were found to be positively correlated with the occurrence of END post-stroke, while lymphocytes and UA were negatively correlated. Conclusion Our study developed a novel Nomogram that includes CAD, SBP, neutrophils, lymphocytes, TBil, UA, and LDL and it demonstrated strong discriminatory performance in identifying AIS patients who are likely to develop END.