Correlation between white blood cell count and clinical severity based on NIHSS in acute ischemic stroke patients

Background: Stroke is a major cause of mortality, with the Indonesian Stroke Registry reporting stroke prevalence nationwide was 8.2/1000 people and that, of 1087 stroke patients 67.1% were diagnosed with ischemic stroke. Preventing acute ischemic stroke by determining pathophysiology and prognostic indicators is important. Previous studies revealed white blood cells contributed to post-stroke inflammation and worsening clinical severity, with a positive independent correlation between white blood cell count and stroke severity existing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between white blood cell count and clinical severity based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study using consecutive sampling involved 54 patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke at the Department of Neurology, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, between September and November 2015. Data were collected using medical records and analyzed using Fisher’s Exact test with p 0.05. Results: There were no correlations between white blood cell count and clinical severity based on admission and discharge NIHSS scores. Conclusion: There was no correlation between white blood cell count and clinical severity based on NIHSS. Further research is needed to define the importance of the amount and type of white blood cells as a prognostic indicator in acute ischemic stroke cases.