Methods
This single-center retrospective study included 43 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and AIS, and 70 patients with AIS without COVID-19 who were followed up in non-COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) between March 2020 and January 2021. All patients with COVID-19 in this study were diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal swabs were included. All patients with AIS without COVID-19 were followed up in the non-COVID-19 ICU after COVID-19 was excluded through clinical and laboratory findings and negative rRT-PCR tests from nasopharyngeal swabs.
Demographic characteristics, medical history, symptoms, clinical findings, laboratory findings, and imaging findings of both groups were evaluated retrospectively from electronic medical records. The diagnosis of AIS was confirmed with brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and clinical symptoms. All neurologic symptoms were examined and approved by neurologists. Ischemic stroke types were classified according to the Trial of Org 10 172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification (10). Patients with AIS were divided into four main groups including total anterior circulation infarction (TACI), partial anterior circulation infarction (PACI), posterior circulation infarction (POCI), and lacunar infarction (LACI) according to the Bamford Clinical Classification recommended in the Oxfordshire Stroke Project (OCSP) study (11).
The modified Rankin scale (MRS) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were recorded at the time of admission and 1 month after in all patients. MRS scores 3-6 were considered poor prognosis. In addition, 30-day mortality was evaluated in the patients.
Demographic data, risk factors, laboratory findings, clinical findings, prognosis, and mortality were compared between the groups.
Approval was obtained from the Local Ethics Committee (Protocol No: 2021-044) and the Ministry of Health for this retrospective study.