Body Temperature, Blood Infection Parameters, and Outcome of Thrombolysis-Treated Ischemic Stroke Patients

Abstract

Background and Aims Body temperature, inflammation, and infections may modify response to thrombolytic therapy. We studied their associations with clinical improvement after intravenous thrombolysis and three-month outcome. Methods We included 985 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis at the Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1995–2008. Body temperature, blood leukocyte count, and C-reactive protein levels were analyzed on arrival and at day one. Clinical improvement was defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score decrease of ≥4 points or a score of 0 at 24 h. Functional outcome was assessed at three-months with the modified Rankin Scale dichotomized at 0–2 (good) vs. 3–6 (poor). Associations were tested with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Of the baseline variables, lower C-reactive protein independently predicted clinical improvement at 24 h (odds ratio 0·94 per 5 mg/L; 95% confidence interval 0·89–1·00; P = 0·03), whereas higher leukocyte count (odds ratio 1·10 per E9/L; 1·03–1·17; P < 0·01) and C-reactive protein (odds ratio 1·07 per 5 mg/L; 1·01–1·14; P = 0·02) were associated with poor three-month outcome. When body temperature increased over the first 24 h, clinical improvement after thrombolysis was unlikely (odds ratio 0·66 per °C; 0·45–0·95; P = 0·03) and poor outcome more common (odds ratio 1·63 per °C; 1·24–2·14; P < 0·001). Elevated leukocytes at baseline increased the risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (odds ratio 1·07 per E9/L; 1·00–1·13; P= 0·04). Conclusion A lower level of systemic inflammation at time of thrombolysis may be associated with clinical improvement and good outcome at three-months. Increase in body temperature during the first 24 h associates with lack of clinical improvement and worse patient outcome.