Cumulative hazard of death increased in association with hemorrhagic stroke, but not with ischemic stroke<\/sub><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n MONDAY, April 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), stroke is not a common complication, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, held virtually from April 17 to 22.<\/p>\n Jonathon Fanning, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from the Critical Care Research Group and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues examined the frequency, types, and outcomes of stroke occurring as a complication of COVID-19 requiring ICU admission. Data were included for 2,699 patients with ICU admission from Jan. 1 to Dec. 21, 2020, registered across 370 sites in 52 countries.<\/p>\n The researchers found that 2.2 percent of the patients experienced acute stroke during their ICU stay: 32, 46, and 22 percent with ischemic, hemorrhagic, and unspecified stroke, respectively. The probability of having a stroke in the ICU was small, but there was a gradual increase over time. The cumulative hazard of death was increased in association with hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio, 2.7; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 5.3), but not with ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.0; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.5 to 2.4). Seventy-two percent of patients with hemorrhagic stroke died, but stroke was the primary cause of death in only 15 percent, with the leading cause of death being multiorgan failure.<\/p>\n “The severity of the pandemic means the overall absolute number of patients around the world who will suffer a stroke and the ongoing implications of that for years to come, could create a major public health crisis,” Fanning said in a statement.<\/p>\n Press Release<\/a><\/p>\n