Electrolyte Disturbances in Cerebrovascular Stroke

Abstract
Background: Stroke is a major public health problem. It is one of the leading causes of chronic disability and the second leading cause of death. Electrolyte disturbances have negative influences on the outcome of stroke.
Aim of Study: The aim of this study was to find out the relative frequency of electrolyte disturbances among acute stroke patients; and their relationship with severity and outcome of acute stroke. This study was a descriptive proscriptive one.
Material and Methods: Samples consisted of 33 1 patients with first ever acute CVS (<48) recruited from emergency department, ICU, stroke unite or inward Neurology Department of Assiut University Hospital. Patients with well-known organ failure were excluded. Patients were evaluated clinically on admission and discharge (within one week) by NIHSS together with estimation of serum electrolyte levels.
Results: The result shows that the most common distur-bances was potassium disturbances (25.7%), followed by Sodium disturbances (22.0%), while calcium disturbances and magnesium disturbances recorded in nearly a similar rate (15.1% # 15.4%) from all studied samples. Patients presented with severe CVS (NIHSS >15) had the highest rates of dys-natremia, dyskalemia, dysmagnesemia with significance association between dysnatremia and severity of stroke (p= 0.006). Survivals of acute CVS patients with dysnatremia and dyskalemia showed clinical deterioration. This deterioration was significant among cases with hyponatremia, hypernatremia and hypokalemia who were not amenable for correction of their electrolyte disturbances. Among cases who died of acute CVS dysnatremia was the most commonly encountered elec-trolyte disturbances (40.0%).
Conclusion: The incidence of electrolyte disorders in acute stroke patients was high, and severe CVS cases had the highest rates of dysnatremia, dyskalemia, and dysmagnesemia. Dysnatremia had significant association with stroke severity. Dysnatremia and dyskalemia affect prognosis of stroke neg-atively.