In-Hospital Functional Outcome after Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Stroke is the 2nd most common cause of death worldwide and the third most common cause of death in the developed world. Among the stroke subtypes, ischemic stroke is more common. Aim: to determine the neurologic impairment after anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke at the time of admission and to determine the functional outcome on 7th day. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in Department of Neurology, Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan over a period of twenty months. Two hundred sixty patients of both sexes with acute ischemic stroke and fulfilling the selection criteria were included. Various known risk factors were noted. NIHSS score was measured at the time of admission and on the seventh day Barthel Index was calculated for functional recovery. Results: Of the 260 patients enrolled in the study, 163(62.7%) were males and 97 (37.3%) were females, with age ranging from 20 years to 80 years and a mean age of 58.13 +/- 10.16 years. Neurological impairment at presentation was assessed by NIHSS. The score ranged between 3-26. The functional outcome was evaluated on the 7th day using Barthel index (BI), which ranged from 0 to 80. NIHSS score was found to be a good predictor of functional outcome in pts with ischemic stroke. Conclusion: The NIHSS score is a good predictor of pt's recovery after stroke. Knowing the pt's neurological impairment & predicted outcome can guide physician regarding the prognosis and management plan.