ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Stroke
Sec. Preventative Health and Stroke Complications
POST-STROKE DELIRIUM IS A PREDICTOR OF PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAY AND POOR FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME AT 3 MONTHS
Provisionally accepted
YACINE BOUDIBA1*
Robin Gens1Anissa Ourtani1,2Gaël De Backer3Kaat Guldolf4Fenne Vandervorst1
Sylvie De Raedt1- 1Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- 2CHU Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
- 3Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- 4Algemeen ziekenhuis ZAS Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium
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Background: Delirium is a frequent complication of acute ischemic stroke associated to poor outcome. The complex interplay with post-stroke infections remains to be elucidated. Our study aims to investigate whether post-stroke delirium (PSD) is a predictor of prolonged hospital stay, poor functional outcome and mortality after acute ischemic stroke, independent of the development of post-stroke pneumonia (PSP) and urinary tract infections (PSU). Methods: In a previously published dataset of 514 patients with acute ischemic stroke, 201 patients (39%) developed delirium within the first week after stroke onset using a chart review method based on DSM-5 criteria.15 % developed a post-stroke pneumonia and 22 % a urinary tract infection, using the modified criteria of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of prolonged hospital stay (> median 9 days), poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale > 2) and mortality at 3 months after stroke onset. Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that PSD is a predictor of prolonged hospital stay (OR 4.085, 95%CI 2.445-6.824) and poor functional outcome (OR 3.362, 95%CI 1.851-6.107) at 3 months after stroke onset even after adjustment for age, premorbid disability, NIHSS on admission, PSP and PSU. PSD was no predictor of mortality after stroke. Conclusion: PSD is a predictor of prolonged hospital stay and poor functional outcome at 3 months after ischemic stroke, independent of PSP and PSU.
Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke, lengthof hospital stay, Mortality, Outcome, Post-stroke delirium
Received: 08 Oct 2025; Accepted: 16 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 BOUDIBA, Gens, Ourtani, De Backer, Guldolf, Vandervorst and De Raedt. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: YACINE BOUDIBA
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