Abstract

Background: The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke has been well established. We studied the prognostic value of peripheral markers of inflammation in determining the functional outcome 28 days following stroke. Method: Two hundred and five (205) cases of acute stroke confirmed by CT were evaluated for body temperature, TLC, blood glucose, platelet count, CRP and ESR on admission. Functional outcome was determined after a 28 day period by the modified Rankin scale. Results: A higher TLC (p 0.044), blood glucose(p 0.002) and CRP(p 0.003) was found in patients of ischemic stroke with a poor functional outcome. In patients of haemorrhagic stroke, higher blood glucose (0.001) and CRP (p 0.008) were associated with poor functional outcome after a 28 day period. Conclusion: Peripheral markers of inflammation can be used to assess the clinical severity following both ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke