C-Reactive Protein levels in Acute Stroke: Ischemic vs Hemorrhagic in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

There is growing evidence of the prognostic importance of C-reactive protein (CRP) in ischemic stroke. However, the independent value of CRP in ischemic vs hemorrhagic stroke has not been established. Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of CRP as biomarker in ischemic stroke in comparison to hemorrhagic stroke Methods: This prospective study was conducted from March 2020 to March 2022 in the Department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College. Sample size of 71 was calculated including patients of both genders having age 22-105 years admitted with first-ever acute stroke within the first 24 hours of onset. Data was analyzed using SPSS latest version. Quantitative variables are shown as frequency and percentages. Paired T Test was applied to see the association of CRP levels with effect on CT- Scan of Brain. p value less than 0.05 was considered significant Results: 69% of the participants were women, far outnumbering the men. 45 patients found to have ischemic stroke (63.38%) whereas 26 (36.62%) reported having Hemorrhagic stroke. Paired t test applied to see the association of CRP Levels with CT Scan Brain was found significant having p value 0.002 Conclusions: CRP levels are important in the diagnosis of stroke based on data. CRP levels must be compared to those of other stroke biomarkers in order to make this determination. The serum CRP level within 24 hours can be used to predict severity in ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke.