Risk of pneumonia associated with zero-degree head positioning in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In the hyperacute phase of ischemic stroke, a 0° position is recommended to increase cerebral perfusion in nonhypoxic patients able to tolerate lying flat. However, use of 0° positioning is not uniformly applied in clinical practice, most likely due to concerns of aspiration pneumonia. We aimed to determine the risk of pneumonia associated with 0° head of bed positioning in acute stroke patients treated with thrombolytic therapy.

Methods

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using prospectively collected, consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IVtPA whose head of bed was positioned at 0° for the first 24 h. Rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia were determined using a strict adjudication process to insure accuracy of pneumonia diagnoses

SUBMITTER: Palazzo P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4834933 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature