Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
Volume 92, Issue 3, Pages 242-248Publisher
BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324927
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Department of Health's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre's funding scheme
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that in COVID-19 patients, ischemic stroke is more likely to occur in Asian populations, be more severe with higher D-dimer levels, and result in more severe disability upon discharge. COVID-19 may significantly modify the onset, characteristics, and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke compared to patients without evidence of COVID-19.
Objective We set out to determine which characteristics and outcomes of stroke are associated with COVID-19. Methods This case-control study included patients admitted with stroke to 13 hospitals in England and Scotland between 9 March and 5 July 2020. We collected data on 86 strokes (81 ischaemic strokes and 5 intracerebral haemorrhages) in patients with evidence of COVID-19 at the time of stroke onset (cases). They were compared with 1384 strokes (1193 ischaemic strokes and 191 intracerebral haemorrhages) in patients admitted during the same time period who never had evidence of COVID-19 (controls). In addition, the whole group of stroke admissions, including another 37 patients who appeared to have developed COVID-19 after their stroke, were included in two logistic regression analyses examining which features were independently associated with COVID-19 status and with inpatient mortality. Results Cases with ischaemic stroke were more likely than ischaemic controls to occur in Asians (18.8% vs 6.7%, p<0.0002), were more likely to involve multiple large vessel occlusions (17.9% vs 8.1%, p<0.03), were more severe (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 8 vs 5, p<0.002), were associated with higher D-dimer levels (p<0.01) and were associated with more severe disability on discharge (median modified Rankin Scale score 4 vs 3, p<0.0001) and inpatient death (19.8% vs 6.9%, p<0.0001). Recurrence of stroke during the patient's admission was rare in cases and controls (2.3% vs 1.0%, NS). Conclusions Our data suggest that COVID-19 may be an important modifier of the onset, characteristics and outcome of acute ischaemic stroke.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available