Prognostication in Acute Cerebrovascular Disease

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Subjective assessment of the short‐term outcome and functional state at discharge was made shortly after admission in 200 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (CVD) treated in a stroke unit. The assessments proved correct in 59% of the patients. The accuracy of the predictions was not significantly better in patients with a correct preliminary diagnosis than in those with a false. When a known prognostic score for prediction of hospital mortality was tested on 179 of the patients with cerebral haemorrhage or infarction, a correct trend was noted. The score was best applicable in patients with serious symptoms and those with only minor deficit on admission. A high sensitivity of the score was combined with a relatively low specificity. A true comparison between the predictive value of the score and the quality of the subjective assessments was difficult as the latter, in addition to prediction of mortality, also included prediction of the patient's functional state at discharge. The degree of neurological deficit rather than the type of cerebrovascular lesion seemed associated with the short‐term outcome. Improvement of the quality of prognostic assessments in CVD is warranted.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Stroke Patients Admitted to the Medical Ward and the Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Saudi Arabia

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11] Some researchers have been interested in predicting Faculty of Medicine, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia the outcome of stroke. [12][13][14][15] In a study done by Marik at University of Massachusetts, in USA, 40 patients were studied, ICU mortality was found to be 28% and medical ward mortality was found to be 9%. 16 Another study by Burtin had reported a higher ICU mortality rate of 73% and one-year mortality rate of 92% for patients with severe stroke.…”