Association of Blood and Inflammatory Factors with Stroke Type and in-Hospital Outcome in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a major cause of hospitalization in neurology wards and a leading cause of disability and mortality from neurological disorders. Hematologic and inflammatory markers may play a role in stroke occurrence and prognosis. Objectives: This study investigated the association of blood and inflammatory factors with stroke type and in-hospital outcome in patients presenting to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, in 2022. Methods: This retrospective analytical cross-sectional study used data extracted from the medical records of 721 patients with stroke. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and appropriate statistical tests. Results: Of the 721 patients, 590 (81.8%) had ischemic stroke and 131 (18.2%) had hemorrhagic stroke. In the hemorrhagic stroke group, 55.7% were male and 44.3% were female; the proportions of male and female patients were equal in the ischemic stroke group. Mean age was 65.2 ± 16.1 years in the hemorrhagic stroke group and 71.1 ± 14.6 years in the ischemic stroke group. Mean hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in the hemorrhagic stroke group were 14.29 ± 2.18 g/dL and 42.51 ± 5.92%, respectively; both were significantly higher than the corresponding values of 13.71 ± 2.02 g/dL and 41.31 ± 5.64% in the ischemic stroke group. Mean C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were 34.34 ± 25.88 mg/L in the hemorrhagic stroke group and 34.50 ± 27.62 mg/L in the ischemic stroke group. Mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values were 22.084 ± 22.28 mm/h and 22.998 ± 27.79 mm/h, respectively. Neither CRP nor ESR differed significantly between the groups (P > 0.05). Mortality was significantly higher among patients with hemorrhagic stroke than among those with ischemic stroke (40.5% vs 18.6%; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Ischemic stroke was more common than hemorrhagic stroke, but hemorrhagic stroke was associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Although hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were higher in the hemorrhagic stroke group, CRP and ESR did not differ significantly between stroke types and were not significantly associated with in-hospital outcomes.