Critical care of acute ischemic stroke

Role of decompressive craniectomy in the management of acute ischemic stroke (Review)

The application of decompressive craniectomy (DC) is thoroughly documented in the management of brain edema, particularly following traumatic brain injury. However, an increasing amount of concern is developing among the universal medical community as regards the application of DC in the treatment of other causes of brain edema, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, sinus thrombosis and encephalitis. Managing stroke continues to remain challenging, and demands the aggressive and intensive consulting of a number of medical specialties. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarcts, which consist of 1-10% of all supratentorial infarcts, are often associated with mass effects, and high mortality and morbidity rates. Over the past three decades, a number of neurosurgical medical centers have reported their experience with the application of DC in the treatment of malignant MCA infarction with varying results. In addition, over the past decade, major efforts have been dedicated to multicenter randomized clinical trials. The present study reviews the pertinent literature to outline the use of DC in the management of malignant MCA infarction. The PubMed database was systematically searched for the following terms: 'Malignant cerebral infarction', 'surgery for stroke', 'DC for cerebral infarction', and all their combinations. Case reports were excluded from the review. The articles were categorized into a number of groups; the majority of these were human clinical studies, with a few animal experimental clinical studies. The surgical technique involved was DC, or hemicraniectomy. Other aspects that were included in the selection of articles were methodological characteristics and the number of patients. The multicenter randomized trials were promising. The mortality rate has unanimously decreased. As for the functional outcome, different scales were employed; the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended was not sufficient; the Modified Rankin Scale and Bathel index, as well as other scales, were applied. Other aspects considered were demographics, statistics and the very interesting radiological ones. There is no doubt that DC decreases mortality rates, as shown in all clinical trials. Functional outcome appears to be the goal standard in modern-era neurosurgery, and quality of life should be further discussed among the medical community and with patient consent.

Acute Ischaemic Stroke: Management, Recent Advances and Controversies

Acute ischaemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability. It may become an enormous burden to the patients themselves, their families as well as the health care systems. Patients at risk of airway, breathing and circulatory compromise should receive prompt resuscitation. Vital parameters and neurological status should be closely monitored. Attentions to blood pressure, temperature and sugar profile are important. The significance of early and correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment cannot be over-emphasised. There have been tremendous recent advances in different treatment modalities in acute stroke management. Various recanalisation modalities include intravenous and/or intra-arterial thrombolysis, acute defibrinogenation, anti-platelet treatment and anticoagulation. Carotid endarterectomy and endovascular strategies are recommended in selected patients. Advanced neuro-imaging techniques and neuroprotectants are being evaluated. Multidisciplinary stroke teams have been shown to improve patient survival and functional outcome. Pre-defined algorithms and protocols should be in place to expedite smooth and effective delivery of stroke service. Future directions should be aimed at exploring safer recanalisation modalities and extending the limit of the current 3-hour treatment window for thrombolysis.

Craniectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Anterior and posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke carries significant morbidity and mortality as a result of malignant cerebral edema. Decompressive craniectomy has evolved as a viable neurosurgical intervention in the armamentarium of treatment options for this life-threatening edema. In this review, we highlight the history of craniectomy for stroke and discuss recent data relevant to its efficacy in modern neurosurgical practice.

Long-term survival in older critically ill patients with acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES

To compare survival in older patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with those not requiring ICU care and to assess the impact of mechanical ventilation (MV) and percutaneous gastrostomy tubes (PEG) on long-term mortality.

DESIGN

Multicentered retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Administrative data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covering 93 metropolitan counties primarily in the eastern half of the United States.

PATIENTS

31,301 patients discharged with acute ischemic stroke in 2000.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Mortality from the time of index hospitalization up to the end of the follow-up period of 12 months. Information was also gathered on use of mechanical ventilation, percutaneous gastrostomy, sociodemographic variables and a host of comorbid conditions. Of all patients with acute ischemic stroke, 26% required ICU admission. The crude death rate for ICU stroke patients was 21% at 30 days and 40% at 1-yr follow-up. At 30 days, after adjustment of sociodemographic variables and comorbidities, ICU patients had a 29% higher mortality hazard compared with non-ICU patients. MV was associated with a five-fold higher mortality hazard (hazard ratio 5.59, confidence interval [CI] 4.93-6.34). The use of PEG was not associated with mortality at 30 days. By contrast, at 1-yr follow up in 30-day survivors, ICU admission was not associated with mortality hazard (hazard ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.93-1.09). MV still had a higher risk of death (hazard ratio 1.88, 95% CI 1.57-2.25), and PEG patients had a 2.59-fold greater mortality hazard (95% CI 2.38-2.82).

CONCLUSIONS

Both short-term and long-term mortality in older patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to ICUs is lower than previously reported. The need for MV and PEG are markers for poor long-term outcome. Future research should focus on the identification of clinical factors that lead to increased mortality in long-term survivors and efforts to reduce those risks.

Surgical repair of a gunshot injury to the left carotid artery: case report and review of literature

We present a case of a 37-year-old man who sustained a single gunshot wound (penetrating zones I and II) and internal carotid artery injury. Optimal evaluation and management of vascular injury remains controversial. Literature on the operative techniques of carotid artery injuries is reviewed.

Therapy for early reperfusion after stroke

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the Western world. At present, intravenous administration of tissue plasminogen activator within 3 h of symptom onset is the only proven effective treatment to re-establish cerebral blood flow in the case of acute vessel occlusion. Unfortunately, few patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke qualify for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator therapy. The focus of current research is, therefore, to find new treatment options by which to obtain early reperfusion, and to extend the therapeutic window for intervention beyond 3 h. The purpose of this Review is to provide an integrated view of the current state of reperfusion therapy in patients with acute stroke, including pharmacologic agents and the methods of delivery. The focus will be on intravenous and intra-arterial use of plasminogen activators in acute supratentorial infarction. Other therapies, such as antiplatelet agents (i.e. glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors), and anticoagulant drugs will be discussed briefly.

Hyperacute Therapy of Ischemic Stroke: Intravenous Thrombolysis

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States following heart disease and cancer. Following the success of thrombolysis for myocardial infarction in the early 1990s, major trials for evaluation of this new therapeutic approach for ischemic stroke were initiated. The majority of ischemic strokes are due to occlusion of a cerebral vessel by a blood clot. Occlusion of a cerebral blood vessel leads to a core of infracted tissue surrounded by a relatively hypoperfused but viable brain tissue (the ischemic penumbra), which can be potentially salvaged by rapid recanalization of the target vessel. The underlying rationale for introduction of thrombolytic drugs is the lysis of an obliterating thrombus and reestablishment of blood flow. In this article we review the major intravenous thrombolysis trials leading to approval of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, the only FDA approved treatment available today for acute ischemic stroke.

Jugular venous oxygen saturation thresholds in trauma patients may not extrapolate to ischemic stroke patients: lessons from a preliminary study

The authors' first examinations of 10 patients with severe hemispheric stroke indicate that bedside monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is of clinical value as a prognostic tool for outcome and as therapy of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). Jugular venous oximetry, which is easier to handle and provides on-line data, may also be of prognostic value in patients with ischemic stroke. No clinical studies are available on patients with hemispheric infarctions. Therefore, in a second data analysis from the same patient population, the authors' objective was to estimate the clinical value of monitoring cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism with jugular bulb catheters in treatment of severe postischemic brain edema. In 10 patients with severe hemispheric infarctions, ICP, jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2), CBF, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) were measured prospectively. A total of 101 ICP, SjvO2, and 92 CBF measurements were obtained. Only two SjvO2 values were below the critical thresholds to detect secondary ischemic events defined in trauma patients (SjvO2 < 50%). Intracranial pressure elevations more than 20 mm Hg and pupillary disturbances were treated with osmotherapy (mannitol or hypertonic NaCl hydroxyethyl starch solution) or mild hyperventilation in combination with tromethamine-buffer. In 8 of 17 pairs of measurements with treated elevated ICP, CMRO2 varied and changes of SjvO2 did not reflect changes in CBF. Jugular bulb oximetry should interpreted with caution in patients with severe hemispheric infarction. Critical thresholds defined in trauma patients may not be extrapolated to ischemic stroke.

Thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke--a review. Part I--Intravenous thrombolysis

OBJECTIVE

Thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke was implemented into clinical routine 4 yrs ago. Unfortunately, at present <2% of eligible patients receive thrombolytic therapy. We present an overview of all hitherto completed trials of intravenous thrombolytic therapy for carotid artery stroke including recommendations for therapy and diagnostic procedures and their impact on patient selection and meta-analyses.

DATA SOURCES

We performed an extensive literature search not only to identify the larger and well-known randomized trials but also to identify smaller pilot studies and case series. Trials included in this review, among others, are the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) study, European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study I and II, and Alteplase Thrombolysis for Acute Noninterventional Therapy in Ischemic Stroke (ATLANTIS) A and B and two large meta-analyses, including the Cochrane Library report.

CONCLUSION

Intravenous thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator has demonstrated a significant benefit and has proven to be safe for patients who can be treated within 3-6 hrs after symptom onset. This benefit is at the cost of an increased rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage without a significant effect on overall mortality. In general, the benefit of thrombolysis decreases and the risks increase with progressing time after symptom onset. Presently, thrombolytic therapy is still underutilized because of problems with clinical and time criteria, and lack of public and professional education to regard stroke as a treatable emergency. If applied more widely, thrombolytic therapy may result in profound cost savings in health care and reduction of long-term disability of stroke patients.

European Stroke Initiative (EUSI) recommendations for stroke management. The European Stroke Initiative Writing Committee

The European Stroke Initiative (EUSI) is the common body of stroke-related activities within the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS), the European Neurological Society (ENS) and the European Stroke Council (ESC). The Executive committee of the EUSI has authorized the writing committee of the EUSI to create recommendations for stroke management covering all areas of stroke treatment. The recommendations are listed according to levels of evidence pre-specified and modified according to several proposals in the literature. The recommendations have been approved by the executive committees of the EUSI, the ESC, the EFNS and the ENS. They are called recommendations rather than guidelines in order to underline the large amount of individual decision making due to the fact that for many important questions, no data of high evidence level is available. The EUSI plans to review and update the recommendations on a regular basis.

Traumatic bilateral internal carotid artery dissection following airbag deployment in a patient with fibromuscular dysplasia

This case describes a 39-yr-old male, presenting with left hemiplegia after a road traffic accident involving frontal deceleration and airbag deployment. Brain computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed a right parietal lobe infarct. Contrast angiography demonstrated bilateral internal carotid artery dissection and fibromuscular dysplasia. The patient was treated with systemic heparinization. Neurological improvement, evidenced by full return of touch sensation, proprioception and nociception began 10 days after the injury. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of carotid artery dissection associated with airbag deployment. Forced neck extension in such settings may result in carotid artery dissection because of shear force injury at the junction of the extracranial and intrapetrous segments of the vessel. Clinicians should consider carotid artery injury when deterioration in neurological status occurs after airbag deployment. We propose that the risk of carotid artery dissection was increased by the presence of fibromuscular dysplasia.

Mechanical ventilation in patients with hemispheric ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

Whether stroke patients should be ventilated mechanically is still a contentious issue, because their outcome is very poor. We wanted to investigate how often mechanical ventilation is indicated in patients with hemispheric ischemic stroke as well as the outcome of these patients and the factors by which outcome is influenced.

DESIGN

Prospective case series.

SETTING

University hospital, neurocritical care unit.

SUBJECTS

Subjects were 218 patients who met the following inclusion criteria: age 18-85 yrs, acute hemispheric ischemic infarction, clinical examination, and computed tomography within 6 hrs after the onset of symptoms.

INTERVENTIONS

Mechanical ventilation was instituted with one or more of the following conditions: deterioration of consciousness with the inability to protect the airway; PaO2 of <60; P(CO2) of >60 mm Hg; breath rate of >40 breaths/min; and left heart insufficiency with definitive or impending pulmonary edema.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Mechanical ventilation was indicated for 52 (24%) of the 218 patients: in 47 (90%) patients because of deterioration of consciousness, and in five (10%) patients because of heart insufficiency and/or pneumonia. In a logistic regression model, the history of hypertension and a size of infarction exceeding two thirds of the middle cerebral artery territory were independent variables for the application of mechanical ventilation. After 3 months, 42 (81%) of these 52 patients had died. The most common cause of death was fatal midbrain herniation caused by complete middle cerebral artery infarction. Patients who survived had a good-to-fair outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

New therapeutic strategies (e.g., hemicraniectomy) must be developed to reduce mortality and improve the outcome for this subgroup of ischemic stroke patients. Mechanical ventilation is and will remain a crucial element within such new concepts.

Prognostic factors in artificially ventilated stroke patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the reasons for implementing artificial ventilation (AV) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), determine their outcome and characterize prognostic variables in these patients.

METHODS

Consecutive patients presenting with AIS were evaluated. All patients who received AV were treated in a neurological semi-intensive care setting.

RESULTS

Of the 173 patients included in the study, 27 (16%) needed AV, 16 (9%) received AV and five of these patients (31%) survived. The mean NIH stroke scale score prior to AV was 14.5+/-5.6 (vs. 9.1+/-6.2 in non-intubated patients, P=0.001). Six patients were ventilated because of neurological deterioration. Most of these patients had large hemispheric infarctions with evident herniation and midline shift on CT scans. The only one who survived the acute hospitalization did not recover and died within 3 months. In the other 10 patients, AV was instituted during cardiopulmonary decompensation (CPD). These patients generally fared better; four of them survived and were discharged after a lengthier hospital stay when compared to non-intubated patients. Variables associated with survival among intubated patients were a lower neurological disability score on admission and on day 7 after the stroke, and intubation during CPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing AV in semi-intensive care settings does not seem to improve survival in AIS patients with neurological deterioration. Stroke patients who need AV during CPD and those that have less severe neurological deficits may have better chances for survival.

Changes in cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism during moderate hypothermia in patients with severe middle cerebral artery infarction

OBJECT

Moderate hypothermia has been reported to be effective in the treatment of postischemic brain edema. The effect of hypothermia on cerebral hemodynamics is a matter of controversial discussion in literature. Clinical studies have yet to be performed in patients with ischemic stroke after induction of hypothermia.

METHODS

Measurements during mild hypothermia (33-34 degrees C) were made in six patients with severe ischemic stroke involving the middle cerebral artery territory. Hypothermia was induced as soon as possible and maintained for 48 to 72 hours. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) were estimated by a new double-indicator dilution method. Measurements of CBF were made during normothermia, immediately after induction of hypothermia, at the end of hypothermia, and after rewarming. A total of 19 measurements of CBF and jugular bulb O2 saturation were made. Immediately after induction of hypothermia, CBF decreased in all patients. During late hypothermia, CBF improved in patients who survived but remained diminished in the two patients who died. Reduced CMRO2 levels were observed during all phases of hypothermia in all but one case.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary oberservations indicate that moderate hypothermia seems to reduce CMRO2. Immediately after induction of hypothermia, CBF may decrease in all patients. During late hypothermia CBF seems to recover in patients with good outcome but remains diminished in patients who die. Serial bedside CBF measurements with the new double-indicator dilution technique may be useful to describe cerebral hemodynamic characteristics in patients with severe ischemic stroke during hypothermia.

Bedside monitoring of cerebral blood flow in patients with acute hemispheric stroke

OBJECTIVE

To test the practicability of a new double indicator dilution method for bedside monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and to assess the clinical value of CBF monitoring as a prognostic tool for outcome and in therapy of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with acute hemispheric stroke.

DESIGN

Prospective study. Clinical evaluation of a new method.

SETTING

Neurological intensive care unit of a university hospital.

PATIENTS

Ten patients with acute complete middle cerebral artery territory- or hemispheric infarctions.

INTERVENTIONS

Two combined fiberoptic thermistor catheters were placed in the right jugular bulb and in the thoracic aorta. Central venous injections of ice-cold indocyanine green dye were performed. CBF was estimated by calculating the mean transit times of the cold bolus and dye.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 104 reproducible CBF measurements were obtained. No complications associated with the method were observed. Twelve pairs of measurements were performed within 30 mins with unchanged clinical conditions. The standard deviation of repeated measurements was 2.7 mL/100 g/min; the interrater reliability was between 0.95 and 0.99. The median CBF in patients who died (n = 4) was lower (27 mL/100g/min) than in those who survived (n = 6) (45 mL/100g/ min). Patients who died more frequently had low CBF values of <30 mL/100g/min (22 of 38; 58%) than patients who survived (10 of 54; 19%). A total of 37 CBF measurements were done during ICP elevation of >20 mm Hg. In patients who survived, ICP elevations were only associated with low CBF values in 5 of 26 events; whereas in patients who died, ICP elevations were associated with low CBF values in 8 of 11 events.

CONCLUSIONS

The new double indicator dilution technique may be suitable for serial bedside CBF measurement. It is easy to perform and can be rapidly repeated in the ICU environment. Validation of the method by comparison with standard methods is needed. The preliminary data indicate that bedside monitoring of CBF may give prognostic information for outcome and may guide therapy of elevated ICP in patients with malignant hemispheric infarction.

Stroke--a medical emergency

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and number one cause of disability in industrialised countries. A number of new therapeutic approaches are currently in development for use in the acute phase of ischaemic stroke and all trials have, to date, demonstrated the importance of early diagnosis and subsequent initiation of treatment. It is well known that, for most patients, there is a long delay between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment. A number of factors are responsible for this time delay: signs and symptoms often go unrecognised by patients, relatives, and bystanders and, unlike trauma or myocardial infarction, stroke is not given a high priority by medical staff. Studies into the pathophysiology of acute ischaemic stroke have indicated that treatment options are likely to be optimised when early signs of stroke are recognised and treatment is initiated within six hours of symptom onset. Although a small number of stroke patients are treated as emergencies and attended to by the emergency medical services within this time window, this number could easily be increased by intensified public and emergency personnel education. In the future, it is hoped that treatments which must be administered within the first few hours of acute stroke will be able to be initiated by the emergency medical services. In the same way that hospitals are notified and prepared in advance to receive trauma victims, early notification by the emergency medical services about stroke patients would enable stroke teams to be present at admission, thus improving the likelihood of a better outcome for patients.

Hemicraniectomy for massive cerebral infarction: Evoked potentials as presurgical prognostic factors

In patients with massive hemispheric infarctions, mortality exceeds 80% with medical therapy alone. In certain conditions hemicraniectomy may result in meaningful survival. We studied presurgical clinical and electrophysiological parameters that may serve as prognostic factors to assess efficacy of decompressive surgery. We evaluated 26 consecutive patients with severe focal neurological deficit, deterioration of consciousness, and massive hemispheric infarction by cranial computerized tomography who underwent hemicraniectomy. Clinical examination included pupillary size and reaction, and determination of level of consciousness on an hourly basis. Median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potentials were obtained before and after hemicraniectomy. Outcome was assessed by using the Barthel Index. Clinical and evoked potential data were correlated with the outcome. Fisher's Exact Test was applied to establish statistical significance. With surgery 18 of 26 patients survived on an average intensive care treatment of 29.6 (+/-27.5) days. Barthel Index at discharge was 61.7 (+/-24.4) in survivors. Presurgical pupillary reaction, level of consciousness, and somatosensory evoked potentials were not found to correlate with outcome. In contrast, presurgical brainstem auditory evoked potentials showed a significant correlation with survival (P<.05). All patients with good outcomes (Barthel Index >/=60: n=12, 46.1%) had normal brainstem auditory evoked potentials before surgery. Clinical parameters did not reliably forecast prognosis in patients with massive cerebral infarction treated with hemicraniectomy.

Repeat positron emission tomographic studies in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in cats: residual perfusion and efficacy of postischemic reperfusion

The wider clinical acceptance of thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke has focused more attention on experimental models of reversible focal ischemia. Such models enable the study of the effect of ischemia of various durations and of reperfusion on the development of infarctions. We used high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) to assess cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) before, during, and up to 24 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in cats. After determination of resting values, the MCA was occluded by a transorbital device. The MCA was reopened after 30 min in five, after 60 min in 11, and after 120 min in two cats. Whereas all cats survived 30-min MCAO, six died after 60-min and one after 120-min MCAO during 6-20 h of reperfusion. In those cats surviving the first day, infarct size was determined on serial histologic sections. The arterial occlusion immediately reduced CBF in the MCA territory to < 40% of control, while CMRO2 was less affected, causing an increase in OEF. Whereas in the cats surviving 24 h of reperfusion after 60- and 120-min MCAO, OEF remained elevated throughout the ischemic episode, the initial OEF increase had already disappeared during the later period of ischemia in those cats that died during the reperfusion period. After 30-min MCAO, the reperfusion period was characterized by a transient reactive hyperemia and fast normalization of CBF, CMRO2, and CMRglc, and no or only small infarcts in the deep nuclei were found in histology. After 60- and 120-min MCAO, the extent of hyperperfusion was related to the severity of ischemia, decreased CMRO2 and CMRglc persisted, and cortical/subcortical infarcts of varying sizes developed. A clear difference was found in the flow/metabolic pattern between surviving and dying cats: In cats dying during the observation period, extended postischemic hyperperfusion accompanied large defects in CMRO2 and CMRglc, large infarcts developed, and intracranial pressure increased fatally. In those surviving the day after MCAO, increased OEF persisted over the ischemic episode, postischemic hyperperfusion was less severe and shorter, and the perfusional and metabolic defects as well as the final infarcts were smaller. These results stress the importance of the severity of ischemia for the further course after reperfusion and help to explain the diverging outcome after thrombolysis, where a relation between the residual flow and the effectiveness of reperfusion was also observed.

Prognosis of stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation in a neurological critical care unit

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intubation and mechanical ventilation are sometimes necessary during treatment of acute stroke. Indications include neurological deterioration, pulmonary complications, and elective intubation for procedures and surgery. Prognosis in severe stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation has often been reported to be poor. This study was performed to prospectively assess the prognosis of stroke patients who require ventilation in a neurological intensive care unit and to determine factors that may influence outcome.

METHODS

Analysis was made of 124 consecutive stroke patients who required mechanical ventilation over a 2-year period. We determined the survival rate at 1 year after admission. Initial clinical data, history of previous diseases, and indication for intubation were analyzed for prognostic significance by univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The 1-year survival rate was 33.1% (n = 41). Sixty-five patients (52%) died in the neurological intensive care unit. Among 17 variables analyzed, seven were found to significantly influence 2-month fatality in the univariate analysis: age greater than 65 years, atrial fibrillation, bilateral absence of pupillary light reflex, bilateral absence of corneal reflex, bilateral Babinski's sign, infratentorial stroke, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than 10. Independent predictors of death at 2 months were age greater than 65 years (P = .03), GCS score less than 10 (P = .01), and intubation performed because of coma or acute respiratory failure (P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall prognosis of ventilated patients with severe stroke is better than previously reported. Older patients comatose on admission who need to be intubated because of neurological or respiratory deterioration have the poorest prognosis. We conclude that intubation and mechanical ventilation of severe stroke patients should be performed in a timely manner, before irreversible damage occurs.