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C-Reactive protein as a short term prognosis factor in ischemic stroke

Abstract:

Objective: Determine the association between C-Reactive Protein (CRP), the Rankin scale score at discharge and the hospital stay days. Methods: Cohort study of 48 patients with diagnosis of ischemic stroke admitted to the Neurology Service of the Social Security Hospital, Guayaquil-Ecuador. Patients were divided into two groups depending of their CRP levels (normal or elevated). Demographic variables, medical history, social history and stroke characteristics were accounted. The difference between the Rankin scale score and the hospital stay days was determined by the T test, Mann Whitney test, Log Rank test, Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression. Results: Twenty nine patients with elevated CRP levels and 19 with normal CRP levels were studied. Both groups had similar baseline characteristics. We found a correlation between the CRP levels and the Rankin scale score r=0.35 (p=0.014). Even though the mean of the Rankin scale score was higher in the elevated CRP group there was no significant difference (p=0.15). The mean of the hospital stay days was higher in the elevated CRP group with no difference (p=0.21) and no difference was found with the Log Rank test (0.06) either. The multiple lineal regression found a stronger association with the samples taken in the first 48 h of the beginning of symptoms (p=0.02). Conclusion: We found a correlation between the levels of CRP and Rankin scale score at discharge. The remaining analysis showed a tendency for worse prognosis in the elevated CRP group not statistically significant. © 2010 Sociedad Neurológica Argentina. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.