Abstract TP208: Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) - An Overlooked Modifiable Risk Factor in Acute Stroke Care

Abstract

Introduction: In patients with acute stroke, part of the acute management entails identifying the risk factors; modifiable or non modifiable. Early recognition of these factors is essential for optimizing therapeutic procedures, especially those with a known effective treatment. In this sense, Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) has also been suggested as a modifiable and independent risk factor for stroke as defined by international guidelines and some studies have demonstrated that patients with stroke and particularly Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) have an increased risk of death or new vascular events. Pathogenesis of ischemic stroke in SDB is probably related to worsening of existing cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and hypoxia driven cardiac arrhythmia leading to higher prevalence of ischemic stroke in patients with sleep disordered breathing disease. Despite strong evidence linking SDB to ischemic stroke, evaluation for SDB is rarely performed in patients presenting with an acute ischemic stroke. Hypothesis: Evaluation of SDB is rarely performed in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients above the age of 18 who were admitted to the acute stroke service at University Hospital July 2014 to December 2014. Demographic data, etiology of stroke as identified per TOAST criteria, modifiable risk factors, presenting NIHSS and frequency of testing for SDB and their results were collected. The data was consolidated and tabulated by using STATA version 14. Results: Total of 240 patients satisfied our inclusion criteria. Only 24 patients ie 10% of those who satisfied our inclusion criteria received evaluation for SDB. Out of those evaluated, 62.5% ie 15 patients out of 24 patients had findings concerning for significant desaturation. Only 2 providers out of 8 stroke physicians ie 25% tested for SDB in more than 5 patients. Conclusions: Our observations highlight the paucity in evaluation for SDB in acute ischemic stroke in a tertiary care setting. Being a modifiable risk factor, greater emphasis must be placed on evaluation for SDB in patients in patients with acute stroke. Education must be provided to all patients and providers regarding identification of these factors.