Deep Venous Thrombosis in Acute Stroke Patients

Abstract

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a complication of stroke. Our aim was to determine the frequency of DVT in patients with acute stroke, risk factors for its development, and its influence on the 3-month outcome. A total of 323 consecutive patients with acute stroke were enrolled. We performed ultrasound imaging within 7 days after stroke. Deep venous thrombosis was found in 8.7% of patients, only in those with ischemic stroke. Patients with DVT were more frequently female (71.4% vs 49.5%), had prestroke Modified Rankin scale (mRS) 3 to 5 (42.9% vs 15.3%), elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) serum level (65.4% vs 32.5%), and a trend toward elevated serum fibrinogen level (85.7% vs 70.1%; P = .08). In a multivariate analysis, elevated CRP (odds ratio [OR] 3.15) and prestroke disability (OR 2.89) were independent risk factors for DVT. Deep venous thrombosis occurs in <10% of patients with acute stroke and does not significantly affect the 3-month outcome. Prestroke dependency and elevated CRP level at baseline are independent risk factors for DVT.