Clinical factors related to post-stroke fatigue within the first 3 month after acute cerebrovascular events

Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is a common stroke complication with long-term negative consequences.

Assess the rates of certain PSF domains within first 3 months after different acute cerebrovascular events (ACE) and identify clinical factors associated with each PSF domain.

There were examined 285 patients (195 with ischemic strokes, 39 with hemorrhagic strokes and 51 with transient ischemic attacks (TIA)) consequently at hospital stay, in 1 month and in 3 months after ACE. Global PSF and certain PSF domains were measured by multidimensional fatigue inventory-20 scale.

In 1 month and in 3 months after stroke, in comparison with TIA, it has been identified the significant prevalence of only such PSF aspects that are just related to physical activity (physical PSF and activity-related PSF). In multivariate logistic regression analysis the majority of clinical variables as for ischemic strokes (subtype, affected cerebral arterial region, affected cerebral hemisphere, recurrent stroke, post-stroke urinary tract infection, pyrexia, stroke severity according to NIHSS score) and for hemorrhagic strokes (affected cerebral hemisphere, stroke severity according to NIHSS score) were not significantly associated with any PSF domain at any time point after each ACE. On the other hand, in stroke patients it had been found reliable associations between risk of global PSF, activity-related PSF during hospital stay and presence of post-stroke pneumonia, between risk of global PSF, mental PSF in 1 months after stroke and MRS score, between risk of physical PSF in 3 months after stroke and MRS score.

Active prevention of post-stroke pneumonia and early post-stroke rehabilitation probably may be helpful for PSF prevention within first 3 months after stroke.