Chest Computed Tomography Findings and Validation of Clinical Criteria of Stroke Associated Pneumonia.

Abstract

Multiple terms have been used to describe chest infection in stroke patients . Pneumonia in Stroke Consensus (PISCES) Group has set stroke associated pneumonia (SAP) diagnostic criteria consensus [1] as a starting point in the identification of this pathology . However, SAP assessment still involves a particular challenge [2], especially if chest radiography is taken into account, due to significant interobserver variability in interpretation and its limited use in the early stages [3]. In fact, the wide SAP incidence range in stroke units (3.9% to 44% [4]) reflects the insufficient evidence about diagnostic accuracy of clinical symptoms or laboratory tests for SAP [2]. Thorax high resolution computed tomography (THRCT) is a useful adjunct to conventional radiography and an accurate study to identify underlying findings in stroke patients , which could serve as a guide in risk score or diagnostic criteria validation.