Aim:

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the body temperature taken in the stroke patients on the arrival within the first 3 hours after the beginning of the symptoms and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and the hospital mortality.

Patients and Methods:

Those patients who experienced ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and who applied to the hospital within the first 3 hours after the beginning of the symptoms were included in the study. Those who applied to hospital after the first 3 hours and those who were determined to have any source of infection were not included in the study. On arrival, the body temperature and vital findings were recorded and GCS was detected. The brain tomography (BT) of each patients was obtained and a distinction between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke was made. The patients were observed in terms of mortality during their stay in the hospital. The data was compared by using One-sided Anova Variant analyses and Post hoc Tukey HSD test and assessed with T test. (p≤0.05) was considered to be significant.

Results:

The mean body temperature of patients with ischemic stroke and with GCS ≤ 8 was found significant higher than those patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and with GCS ≥ 9 (p=0.000). The mean body temperature of hemorrhagic stroke patients with GCS ≤ 8 were significant higher than ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients with GCS ≥ 9 (p=0.000). There was no statistically significant difference between the ischemic stroke patients with GCS ≤ 8 and hemorrhagic stoked patients with GCS ≤ 8 (p>0.05). There was a significant correlation between body temperature and mortality. (p=0.000).

Conclusion:

The high body temperature-measured in the first three hours of symptoms in acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients can be an early indicator of bad prognosis and high hospital mortality.

Keywords: Stroke, hypothermia, hyperthermia, body heat, prognosis