Early clinical worsening in patients with TIA or minor stroke: the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry

TIA is associated with a substantial short-term risk of stroke and is thus increasingly recognized as an unstable condition necessitating full medical attention. Our study sought to assess the rate of and predictors for early deterioration after TIA or minor stroke in a large nationwide survey among Austrian stroke units.

Of the 29,287 patients prospectively enrolled in the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry (2003-2008), 8,291 presenting with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke, defined by an NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score <4, were included in the current evaluation. Worsening was defined as clinical deterioration during stroke unit stay by > or = 2 points on the NIHSS.

A total of 374 patients (4.5%) experienced early clinical worsening during a mean stroke unit stay of 2.97 days (median 2 [interquartile range,1-4] days). In a multivariate stepwise regression analysis hypertension, diabetes, cardiac decompensation, acute infection, and stroke etiology emerged as independent risk predictors for early deterioration. The ABCD2 score could be estimated in a subgroup of 3,886 subjects and closely correlated with the risk of neurologic worsening.

Our study revealed a high rate of early clinical deterioration (4.5%) among 8,291 patients with TIA or minor stroke despite immediate admission to specialized stroke units. Predictors for neurologic deterioration apart from diabetes, hypertension, and the estimated ABCD2 score were stroke etiology, reinforcing the relevance of an immediate diagnostic workup, and coexistent acute infection and cardiac decompensation, both conditions necessitating adequate attention in the emergency setting.