Background: The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and risk factors of gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage in acute ischemic stroke patients in Taiwan. Method: 920 patients admitted for acute ischemic stroke from January 2001 to October 2005 were included in the study. We reviewed the available medical records for any episode of GI hemorrhage, possible precipitating factors and administration of ulcer prophylaxis. Results: Seventy-two patients (7.8%) experienced GI hemorrhage; these patients were of an older age (74.7 vs. 69.0 years, p < 0.001), had a longer acute ward stay (30.4 vs. 12.9 days, p < 0.001) and higher mortality rate (odds ratio 9.61, CI 4.53–20.42) than patients without GI hemorrhage. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the important risk factors of GI hemorrhage included sepsis, previous history of GI hemorrhage, severe stroke, renal insufficiency and abnormal liver function. Of the 779 patients who had a 0–1 risk factor, 26 (3.3%) experienced GI hemorrhage; of the 27 patients with more than 2 risk factors, 17 (63%) suffered GI hemorrhage. Conclusion: This study of Asians revealed a higher frequency of GI hemorrhage after acute ischemic stroke than that reported in previous studies, and the frequency of GI hemorrhage was positively correlated with the number of risk factors present. We suggest that identifying stroke patients with a high risk of hemorrhage may allow clinicians to set up ulcer prophylactic protocols for the patients most likely to benefit, especially in an Asian population.

Keywords:
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Ischemic stroke, Risk factors, Asians
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2009
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