Assessment of the risk factors and functional outcome of delirium in acute stroke

Abstract

Background: Post stroke delirium is a multifactorial life-threatening process, still poorly understood. The aim of the study was to identify the risk factors associated with the development of delirium in acute stroke patients and detection of the effect of delirium on the short-term prognosis of acute stroke patients. Patients and methods: This study was carried on 74 acute stroke patients, 40 males (54.1%) and 34 females (45.9%). Full general and neurological examination was performed to all patients. Full routine laboratory investigation and computed tomography scan and/or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were done. Results: The patients were divided into two groups: 15 patients with delirium (group I) and 59 patients without delirium (group II). The incidence of delirium was higher among patients with older age (P = 0.002). There was no statistically significant relationship between incidence of delirium and sex of patients (P = 0.52). The delirium patients had significantly higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (P = 0.001) and lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC) (P =0.001)at admission. They also had high mortality (P = 0.017) and lower Barthel Index (BI), and these results were statistically (P = 0.001) significantly. Conclusion: Post stroke delirium was associated with old age, higher NIHSS at admission, intracerebral hemorrhage, and higher long-term mortality.