Abstract:

Objective To assess the risk factors for pneumonia in patients with acute stroke. Methods Three hundred and forty patients with acute stroke were studied, and risk factors for pneumonia such as demographics, history of hypertension, diabetes and smoking, initial blood pressure, body temperature, fasting plasma glucose level, C-reactive protein, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, degree of dysphagia and mechanical ventilation were evaluated. Besides, the correlation between incidence of pneumonia and pneumonia scores in patients with acute stroke was studied. Results Pneumonia was developed in 63 patients (18.5%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, gender, initial NIHSS scores, dysphagia and mechanical ventilation were independent predictors for pneumonia (P<0.05). The incidence of pneumonia gradually increased with the pneumonia scores. Conclusion The occurrence of pneumonia after acute stroke is associated with older age, male gender, high NIHSS scores, dysphagia and mechanical ventilation. The pneumonia scores can be adopted to identify the risks of pneumonia after acute stroke.

Key words: acute stroke, pneumonia, risk factor, NIHSS, pneumonia score