MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY OF ACUTE CEREBRAL INFARCTION RELATED TO TEMPERATURE AND BASAL ANALYTIC PARAMETERS

We evaluated the mortality and morbidity of acute cerebral infarction as related to modifiable factors: glucose level, temperature, hematocrit, hemoglobin and platelet count. We studied 177 patients with acute cerebral infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery, admitted within 24 h of stroke onset. Blood was drawn on admission and temperature was recorded every 2 h, selecting the highest during the Ist day. Patient follow-up lasted 6 months. Barthel Index and Neurological Score of patients were evaluated at admission and on days 1, 4, 7, 14, 21 and at 3 and 6 months. A Glasgow Scale was administered at 6 months. Forty-five of 177 patients died within this period. These patients reached a temperature of 38.3 +/- 0.76 degrees C, while temperature in those surviving was 36.9 +/- 0.46 degrees C (p < 0.001). Glucose level in surviving patients was 112.7 +/- 37 and 193.3 +/- 104.8 mg/dl in those who died (p < 0.001). The other parameters were similar in both groups. Using multiple linear regression, temperature was the only variable having a statistically significant influence on morbidity (p < 0.001).