Document Type : Special Articles

Authors

1 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

2 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Several factors influence on the outcome  of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was determination the relationship  between stroke mortality and red blood cell parameters.Methods: This cross-sectional  study was conducted  from 2011 July to June 2012. For all patients with ischemic stroke in middle  cerebral  artery  (MCA)  territory, the  cell blood count test was performed. We recorded  their mortality on the 1st  week and the 1st  month  after ischemic stroke. Data analysis was performed  using t-test, χ2, Mann–Whitney U- test,  logistic  regression  and  receiver  operating characteristic curve in SPSS for Windows 19.0.Results: A total  of 98  subjects  (45.9%  men  and  54.1% women)  with  the  mean  age  of 71.0 ±  13.9 years  were assessed,   while   67.3%   of   them    were   anemic.   The prevalence  of 1st  week mortality among  anemic and non- anemic  patients  was 40.9% and  34.4% (P = 0.534). The prevalence  of mortality  after  1st   week till 1st   month  was 19.6% and  21.0% respectively  (P = 0.636). In univariant analysis, only 1st month mortality had a significant relationship  with red  blood  cell (RBC)  count  (P = 0.022). However, the  result of logistic regression  model  showed that RBC (P = 0.012) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P = 0.021) remained  as predictors of the 1st  week and the 1st  month  mortality (P = 0.011 and P = 0.090 respectively). The best  cutoB point  of RBC for the  prediction  of the  1st week mortality with 44.7% speciCcity and 69.5% sensitivity was  estimated   4.07   million/μl  and   for  the   1st    month mortality with 46.6% speciCcity and 72.2% sensitivity was estimated 4.16 million/μl.Conclusion: The RBC  count  and  MCV  are  independent predictors of ischemic stroke short-term mortality.