Abstract
Objectives: Information on the incidence of acute ischemic stroke (AIS),
which is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, its association
with COVID-19, and its course in infected patients in this pandemic
period is limited. In this study, it was aimed to compare the
demographic, clinical and stroke characteristics, and the laboratory,
prognosis and mortality findings of patients with AIS with and without
COVID-19. Methods: This study included 43 patients with a positive
nasopharyngeal PCR test who were followed up for AIS, and 70 patients
without COVID-19 who were followed up for AIS during the same period.
Results: Poor prognosis and mortality were found to be significantly
higher in the AIS group with COVID-19 compared with the non-COVID-19 AIS
group. In the AIS group with COVID-19, a higher rate of intensive care
unit (ICU) need (40% vs. 5%), higher intubation rate (35% vs. 3%)
and longer hospital stay (12.9 ± 10.8 vs. 6.6 ± 4.0 days) were observed.
In the laboratory examinations, C-reactive protein, ferritin, D-dimer,
troponin, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were found to be
significantly higher in patients with AIS who were positive for
COVID-19. An increase in D-dimer, ferritin and thrombocytopenia were
found to be associated with mortality in the COVID-19 positive AIS
group. Conclusion: Patients with AIS and COVID-19 had a higher rate of
ICU need, higher intubation rate, longer hospital stay, higher
mortality, and poorer prognosis than those without COVID-19. High levels
of ferritin, D-dimer and fibrin degradation products were associated
with a poor prognosis. Keywords: COVID-19, stroke, prognosis, mortality