Authors : Hrishikesh Shivakumar, Anugraha Durairaj, Madhu G, Nirmala A C
DOI : 10.18231/j.pjms.2022.023
Volume : 12
Issue : 1
Year : 2022
Page No : 123-127
Introduction: IStroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is one of the most common stroke scale used by neurologist around the world. Serum Ferritin is an acute phase reactant, which increases during acute conditions like inflammation and also in vascular events.
This is a study that correlates the S.Ferritin levels with NIHSS scoring scale to assess the severity of stroke, which can also be used as an adjuvant tool for better assessment of severity of stroke in patients, which further helps in improving the management of patients with stroke.
Aims: This study aims to estimate serum ferritin and the NIHSS stroke scale in patients with acute ischemic stroke, and then to correlate serum ferritin with NIHSS stroke scale.
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was done during the period of November 2017-May 2019 in hospitals affiliated to Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute , Bangalore on 106 patients with acute ischemic stroke at the time of admission. NCCT brain was done and Serum Ferritin levels determined for patients who fit into the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software by descriptive statistics in the form of mean values, standard deviation and percentages. Chi Square test was used for association of qualitative variables.
Results: There was linear increase of S.Ferritin with increase in severity of stroke ( As determined by NIHSS scoring scale). It was a found that male sex had a higher increase in S.Ferritin levels compared to females, with statistically significant correlation. It was also found that the maximum number of patients with increase in S.Ferritin levels belonged to severe stroke category.
Interpretation and Conclusion: As there was a linear increase of S.Ferritin with increase in severity of stroke (NIHSS scoring scale), we can conclude that Serum Ferritin level had a positive correlation with the severity of ischemic stroke indicating that S.Ferritin levels can also be used as an adjuvant tool for assessing the severity of stroke along with other tools and facilitate adequate and timely management of these patients.
Key message: S Ferritin can be used as a Prognostic marker in predicting the severity of Acute Ischaemic stroke.
Keywords: Prognostic Indicator, Acute Phase Reactant, Stroke severity