Predictors of dependence after MCA ischemic stroke submitted to thrombolysis

Stroke is one of the most common causes of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. The aim of this study is to identify variables associated with dependence at 3 months and also after the first 3 months after the first-ever ischemic stroke (IS) in middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory submitted to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).

A single-center cohort study of patients with first-ever MCA IS treated with IVT at the Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, was followed over 5 years. Logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of early and late dependence.

A total of 144 patients were included; 48.6% women, and 47.2% were dependent at 3 months after stroke. NIHSS at admission (OR = 1.3, 95%CI = 1.16-1.45, p < 0.001), large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke (OR = 4.11, 95%CI = 1.31-12.85, p = 0.014) and pneumonia during hospitalization (OR = 9.17, 95%CI = 1.42-59.07, p = 0.019) were predictors for early dependence. For the late dependence analyses, 99 patients were included; 49.5% women and 39.4% were dependent after 3 months of stroke. NIHSS at admission (OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.15-1.54, p < 0.001), pneumonia during hospitalization (OR = 11.08, 95%CI = 1.45-84.73, p = 0.019) and seizure after discharge (OR = 5.82, 95%CI = 1.06-32.01, p = 0.040) were predictors for late dependence.

.Dependence is an important indicator of the efficacy of stroke care. Besides it was not possible to evaluate rehabilitation, this is the first study on predictors of post-stroke dependence that focus exclusively on patients with first-ever MCA IS submitted to IVT. NIHSS, LAA stroke, in-hospital pneumonia and seizures after discharge were associated with dependence after first-ever MCA IS submitted to IVT.