Abstract T MP93: Statin Treatment May Reduce the Risk of Post-stroke Infections

        Abstract

        Background: Infection is common and likely detrimental after stroke, while the preventive effects of antibiotics are not satisfactory. Statin has been proved to possess pleiotropic neuropretection effects, including the anti-infection function. Previous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of statin in treating and preventing different infections, however, whetherstatin use can reduce the risk of post-stroke infection is not much clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence ofstatin use on the risk of post-stroke infection.

        Methods: Consecutive ischemic stroke patients admitted to our Hospital form January 2011 to August 2013 were enrolled. We analyzed vascular risk factors, clinical symptoms(including dysphagia and bladder dysfunction), prestroke treatments(including statins use), laboratory data, stroke severity, interventions in hospital(including nasogastric tube and urethral catheter placement) and the development of infectious complications(pneumonia, urinary tract infection and sepsis). Logistic regression analyses were performed to test the association between statin use and post-stroke infections.

        Results: A total of 1863 patients were included and 306 patients (16.4%) developed in-hospital infections with the following distribution: 244 cases of pneumonia (13.1%), 52 cases of urinary tract infection (2.8%) and 24 cases of sepsis (1.3%). 1457 patients (78.2%) got statins treatment: 129 started before stroke (6.9%) and 1328 started in acute phase of stroke (71.3%). Univariate analysis showed that statin use in acute phase was related to a lower risk of post-stroke infections (P<0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, NIHSS, dysphagia, bladder dysfunction, nasogastric tube and urethral catheter placement, this relationship remained significant (OR 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.82; P=0.003). However, prestroke statin use was not found to reduce the risk of post-stroke infections both in univariate (P=0.06) and multivariate analysis (P=0.20).

        Conclusions: Statin use in acute phase of ischemic stroke may reduce the risk of post-stroke infections.