Body temperature in assessment of 7th day outcome in acute stroke patients – A hospital-based study

ABSTRACT

Background: Worldwide stroke is accounted as the second leading cause of death and third cause of disability. Changes in physiological variables such as temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and their deleterious effect in terms of mortality and morbidity are of major concerns for the treating physicians. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to study changes in temperature and its relation to 7th day outcome in acute stroke patient. Materials and Methods: A prospective hospital-based study was conducted, after approval of Institutional Ethical committee, recruiting 150 acute stroke patients presenting within 6 h of developing symptoms. Temperature was recorded every 8 h for 48 h and stroke severity was assessed using modified Rankin scale on admission and on the 7th day after admission. Results: Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square analysis and means of continuous variables were compared using analysis of variance. For any significant difference in mean temperature at two consecutive readings, paired sample t-test was used. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was done to predict outcome in acute stroke patients. The difference in the mean temperature at 8 h, 16 h and 40 h after admission was significant between male and female patients. Temperature at 16th h of admission was found to be significant for improved, status quo, and worsened comparison. Temperature at 24th h of admission was also found to have significant value but only for status quo and worsened outcome. Conclusion: The authors conclude that the mean temperature of the patients remained within the normal range in the first 48 h. The temperature at various intervals may not consistently predict the 7th day outcome in acute stroke patients.