Use of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score for Predicting In-Hospital Mortality Due To Ischemic Stroke.

Abstract

Objective: the target of this study  was  to  assess the usefulness of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSS) in our general population through the assessment of in-hospital mortality in ischaemic stroke patients. Materials and Methodology: This  prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of drugs , Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from 1st April to 30th  September 2017. Patients of either gender and age of 18-75 years were included. Patients admitted within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms of stroke and having NIHSS score >16 were selected, while those with any sort of intracranial hemorrhage, malignancy, diabetes with complications, asymptomatic stroke, transient ischemic   attack,   the   onset   of   symptoms   >24 hours, coronary failure , chronic kidney failure , tuberculoma, meningitis, encephalitis, or hydrocephalus were excluded. A neurological  examination  was  done  and  patients  were  scored on the idea of NIHSS. They were then  observed  for  72  hours after                the                   stroke to              work       out the   result. Results: Out of a complete of 256 patients, 178 were males and

78 females, with a mean age of 52.43-£8.62 years.  The  mean onset of stroke  was  10.83z5.67  hourswhile  the  NIHSS  score was 20.35z2.85.The frequency of mortality was noted to be 39 (15.2%). those that couldn't survive had how higher   mean NIHSS    score    (24.15d3.12vs    19.67z2.19).     There     was a big association of mortality with age  (p=0.034),  duration  of stroke   (p=0.000),   and   history    of DM (p=0.001). Conclusion:  The baseline NIHSS score was significantly  related to mortality among patients in our study  having  age quite 45 years, the onset of stroke before presentation >12 hours, and diabetes.  The  burden  of  stroke  seems  to  be  high  in  Pakistan. It also can be concluded that NIHSS in patients with ischaemic stroke may help to categorize the patients who should receive thrombolytic treatment and who needs only rehabilitation.