Synergistic effect of continuous care and cephalosporin antimicrobials in managing pulmonary infections in acute stroke patients: A comprehensive study

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate potential benefits of continuous nursing combined with cephalosporin antibiotics in patients with acute cerebral infarction complicated by pulmonary infection.
 Methods: A total of 106 patients diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction complicated by pulmonary infection were selected for this study, and admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China from June 2020 to June 2022. Patients were randomly divided into a control group (which received conventional care and cephalosporin antibiotics, n =53), and a study group managed with sustained nursing and cephalosporin antibiotics (n = 53). The study compared various clinical parameters between two groups before and after intervention, including time of symptom relief for fever, cough, and wet rales, as well as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), FuglMeyer Assessment (FMA), Barthel Index (BI), Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and severity of pulmonary infection which was assessed by CURB 65 score.
 Results: Compared with control group, study group had a significantly shorter clinical symptom relief time after intervention (p < 0.05). After intervention, NIHSS, SPBS, SAS, SDS, APACHE II, and CURB 65 scores in study group were significantly lower, whereas FMA and BI scores were significantly higher before intervention (p < 0.05). 
 Conclusion: Administration of nursing care and cephalosporin antibiotics reduces the time required for symptom relief, and improves neurological function in patients with acute cerebral infarction and pulmonary infections.