The impact of pneumonia on hospital stay among patients hospitalized for acute stroke

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of pneumonia on length of hospital stay in cases of acute stroke.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study on 368 stroke patients admitted with a diagnosis of stroke at the Avicenna Hospital, Qazvin, Iran between January 2010 and March 2011. By reviewing the hospital patient records, the demographic characteristics, stroke characteristics, and complications of stroke in these patients were determined during their hospital stay. In surviving patients, the impact of each variable on length of hospital stay was calculated by logistic regression analysis and the Log-Rank test.

RESULTS: Patients with pneumonia during the post stroke period had an increased length of hospital stay (11.5+/-6.4 days), compared with other patients (7.2+/-4.1 days), (p=0.0005). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between length of hospital stay and urinary tract infection (p=0.001), steroid consumption (p=0.028), index of stroke severity (p=0.039), pneumonia (p=0.042), and swallowing disorder (p=0.048).

CONCLUSION: Considering the impact of pneumonia on the length of hospital stay and its consequences, prophylactic activities, rapid diagnosis, and treatment of pneumonia may improve outcome and reduce costs in stroke patients.