Braden scale for assessing pneumonia after acute ischaemic stroke

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Pneumonia prevention is crucial for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
• The Braden Scale's subscales may correlate with pneumonia development.
• Evaluating the Braden Scale for predicting post-stroke pneumonia is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using the Braden Scale to predict pneumonia occurrence in AIS patients.
• To determine the predictive validity of the Braden Scale for post-stroke pneumonia.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of consecutive AIS patients was analyzed.
• Patients were categorized into pneumonia and no-pneumonia groups.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to evaluate predictive validity.

Main Results:

• 57 out of 414 AIS patients (13.8%) developed post-stroke pneumonia.
• The Braden Scale demonstrated a significant difference between groups (AUC=0.883).
• A cutoff score of 18 yielded 83.2% sensitivity and 84.2% specificity for pneumonia prediction.

Conclusions:

• The Braden Scale, with a cutoff of 18 points, appears to be a valid clinical tool for predicting pneumonia in AIS patients.
• Further research is warranted to explore the Braden Scale's association with stroke outcomes.