Short-Term Outcome in Stroke Patients with or without Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Background. Patients with cardioembolic stroke due to atrial fibrillation (CE/AF stroke) seem to have a poorer functional recovery than those with non cardioembolic stroke. This may be ascribed to the heterogeneity between the samples of patients with and without CE/AF stroke. Aim. To compare the short-term outcome of patients with CE/AF stroke and with non-CE/AF stroke of same gender and similar age and level of disability and comorbidity. Methods. The functional independence measure (FIM) of 40 consecutive patients with CE/AF stroke was retrospectively evaluated at admission and discharge in our rehabilitation department. Each “case” was matched with a patient (“control”) of the same sex and similar age and FIM score at admission, affected by non-CE/AF stroke admitted to our department in the same period. Results. FIM score at admission and discharge was respectively 51.9±20.3 and 75.7±21.2 in patients with CE/AF stroke and 54.9±19 and 73.9±22.7 in patients with non-CE/AF stroke; no significant difference was found between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed an effect of the rehabilitation treatment and age on FIM score, whereas no effect was attributable to AF. Conclusions. The short-term outcome is similar in patients with and without CE/AF stroke.