Potentially treatable causes of poor outcome in acute stroke patients with urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE

To identify potentially treatable clinical risk factors responsible for poor outcome in acute stroke patients with urinary incontinence.

METHODS

All acute stroke patients admitted to our hospital within a 12-month period were considered for inclusion in this observational prospective study. Their clinical details were recorded prospectively during the hospital stay and at 3 months.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fifteen patients with complete records were enrolled in the study. After adjusting for age, disability, and comorbidity, urinary incontinence at admission was a significant predictor of stroke death at 3 months [hazard ratio 2.8 (95% CI 1.3 5.8), P = 0.006]. Stroke patients incontinent of urine were malnourished and had an increased risk of infective complications during the hospital stay compared with those without incontinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Part of the poor outcome associated with incontinence of urine after acute stroke may be due to treatable conditions such malnutrition and infections.