Factors Associated With In-Hospital Mortality in Very Elderly Patients With Ischemic Stroke: A Cohort Study

IntroductionThe highest mortality rates associated with ischemic stroke occur in patients of advanced age. However, studies of factors that establish the increase in hospital mortality are scanty in this population.Material and MethodsEpidemiologic, clinical and laboratory data, etiology and ischemic stroke subtype and complications during hospitalization were analyzed in 195 patients aged 80 years or older. In attempt to associate prognostic factor with the in-hospital mortality during first 28 days from admission, the death and survivor groups were compared.ResultsAmong the 195 patients evaluated, the age was 85.3 ± 4.6 years with a mortality of 26.1%. Following the multivariate model, the factors associated with in-hospital mortality were: age (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.00-1.20), the score less than or equal to 8 on Glasgow coma scale (OR = 22.87, 95% CI = 3.55-148.76), diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.30-8.87), total anterior clinical subtype (OR = 5.15, 95% CI = 1.82-14.52) and infectious complications (OR = 8.38, 95% CI = 3.28-21.43).ConclusionsThe following risk factors were associated with a higher in-hospital mortality rate in patients over 79 years of age with ischemic stroke: older age, Glasgow coma score less than or equal to 8, total anterior circulation infarction, infection, and diabetes mellitus.