Pneumonia in acute ischemic stroke patients requiring invasive ventilation: impact on short and long-term outcomes

Abstract Objectives To describe the epidemiology and prognostic impact of pneumonia in acute ischemic stroke patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods Retrospective analysis from a prospective multicenter cohort study of critically ill patients with acute ischemic stroke requiring invasive mechanical ventilation at admission. Impact of pneumonia was investigated using Cox regression for 1-year mortality, and competing risk survival models for ICU mortality censored at 30-days. Results We included 195 patients. Stroke was supratentorial in 62% and 64% of patients had a Glasgow coma scale score Conclusions In ischemic stroke patients requiring invasive ventilation, pneumonia occurred in 40% of cases and was associated with a 49% increase in 1-year mortality. Post-stroke pneumonia did not impact day-30 mortality but increased ICU length of stay.