Predictors of Early Chest Infection in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Pneumonia is a frequent complication of acute stroke and is associated with increased mortality and long-term impairment in the affected subjects. In previous studies, a number of clinical (e.g., dysphagia, severe neurological impairment, mechanical ventilation), radiological (e.g., large infarctions in the territory of middle cerebral artery, insular infarction) and biochemical (e.g., increased serum levels of C-reactive protein, decreased levels of CD4+ T-lymphocytes) findings have been reported as risk factors of stroke-related chest infection. The present study (PRECAST) aims to identify a small set out of these previously described risk factors that can predict stroke-related pneumonia with high sensitivity and specificity.