Hospital-acquired pneumonia in stroke unit

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Stroke Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 560 - 563
• Main Authors: Uchino, Makoto, Hashimoto, Yoichiro, Inatomi, Yuichiro, Nakajima, Makoto, Hara, Rika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Stroke Society 2000
• Subjects: brain infarction; hospital-acquired pneumonia; stroke unit
• ISSN: 0912-0726; 1883-1923
• DOI: 10.3995/jstroke.22.560

We studied the effects of stroke unit for prevention of respiratory infection in patients with ischemic stroke. We performed a retrospective study of consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients. They were divided into two groups which were both cared by stroke units. Group W included 181 patients in a hospital which introduced proper stroke wards system. Group T included 77 patients in another hospital which introduced mobile stroke team system. The two groups were compared about prevalence and outcome of respiratory infection. The prevalence of respiratory infection was 15.5% in group W and 22.1% in group T (p=0.08). Of the patients with respiratory infection, mean modified Rankin Scale at discharge was 5.2±1.5 in group W and 4.4±1.5 in group T (p=0.14). Mean length of hospital stay is 31.5±14.3 days and 27.1±15.3, mortality is 25% and 11.8% (p=0.45). Introduction of proper stroke wards system of stroke unit may decrease prevalence of respiratory infection in acute ischemic stroke, although it may worsen severity of respiratory infection. (Jpn J Stroke 22: 560-563, 2000)