Aim: To determine the most important predictors of inhospital mortality that could be assessed in geriatric patients presenting with ischemic stroke at admission to the emergency department(ED).
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in geriatric patients with ischemic stroke who were diagnosed in the ED. The primary outcome measure was determined as all-cause inhospital mortality after 30 days of ischemic cerebrovascular event.
Results: During the study period, 247 (35.7%) patients died in the hospital and 445 (64.3%) patients survived the 30-day period. The median age of the patients was 78 (72-83). Higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (odds ratio [OR]: 2.085; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.835-2.370), increased creatinine levels (OR: 2.002; 95% CI: 1.235-3.243), increased platelet levels (OR:1.006; 95% CI: 1.002-1.010), and hyperglycemia (OR: 2.610; 95% CI: 1.023-6.660) were found as independent predictors of inhospital mortality.
Conclusion: In evaluating geriatric patients with ischemic stroke, laboratory values including platelet count, creatinine levels, hyperglycemia, and NIHSS scores should be considered to predict inhospital mortality in the ED.
Keywords: emergency department (MeSH Database); geriatrics; mortality; stroke.
© The Author(s) 2014.