Clinical outcomes of stroke in hemodialysis patients: a retrospective single-center study

The incidence of stroke in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) is eight-to-ten times greater than that of the general population. However, data on the outcome of stroke in these patients are limited.

In this retrospective observational cohort study, electronic medical records of all patients undergoing HD from 1.1.2014 to 31.12.2017 at Meir Medical Center, Israel, were reviewed. Stroke was defined as a focal neurological deficit of cerebrovascular origin, and confirmed as ischemic or hemorrhagic by computed tomography. Age- and sex-matched HD patients who did not experience a stroke (HD-NS) and hospitalized stroke patients with normal kidney function (NRF-S) served as the two control groups. Baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Thrombolytic therapy, duration of hospital stay, and mortality were recorded. Functional status at discharge was assessed by the Modified Rankin Scale.

In the cohort study group (HD-S), 52 strokes occurred during 248.3 patient years, an incidence rate of 8.13%, and a stroke rate of 0.19% patients/month. Most strokes in HD patients were ischemic, and only four patients were administered tissue plasminogen activator. HD-S had longer hospitalization than did NRF-S (10.6 ± 9.9 vs. 5.96 ± 5.3 days, p = 0.004) and lower functional status at discharge (Rankin score 3.75 ± 1.57 vs. 2.29 ± 1.89, p < 0.001). HD-S patients had a higher mortality than both HD-NS and NRF-S patients.

Stroke outcome in these patients is dismal with prolonged hospital stay, poor functional status at discharge, very limited response to rehabilitation, and increased mortality.