Post stroke aspiration pneumonia, associated factors, and treatment outcome among stroke patients admitted to Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

BackgroundPost-stroke aspiration pneumonia is a serious lung infection that occurs when stroke patients inhale food, saliva, liquid, vomit, or foreign objects. It is the leading cause of death for stroke patients worldwide, which accounts for 60% of stroke-associated deaths. Little is known about its prevalence, adverse outcomes, and determinants in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the prevalence of post-stroke aspiration pneumonia and associated factors in stroke patients admitted to the Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital.Methods and materialsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 242 stroke patients admitted to the neurology unit of a medical ward from January 1, 2019, to December 30, 2020. Data were collected from the patients' cards using a pre-developed data collection tool. The collected data was coded, cleaned, and entered into Epi-Info version 7.25, and then exported to SPSS 26 for further analysis. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with aspiration pneumonia. The adjusted odds ratio with the corresponding 95% confidence interval and a p < 0.05 were noted to declare variables had a significant association.ResultsThe mean age of the patient was 61.15 ± 13.959 years with a minimum age of 21 and maximum age of 102 years. Males account for 55.8% and females for 44.2%. Out of 242 patients post-stroke aspiration pneumonia was identified in 23.1% of patients, and 55.4% of stroke patients improved, while 23.2% died from post-stroke aspiration pneumonia. The study found that having dysphagia (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.13, 8.21), feeding through a Nasogastric tube (AOR = 10.58; 95% CI: 4.58, 24.42), and a GCS level of 8–12 (AOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.04, 6.42) were independent predictors of post-stroke aspiration pneumonia.ConclusionThis study found a high prevalence of post-stroke aspiration pneumonia and its associated mortality. Stroke patients with dysphagia, low levels of consciousness, and those who are fed through a tube are at a higher risk of developing this condition. Therefore, it is crucial to provide special care to stroke patients with these conditions. The study also highlights the importance of assessing the practice of preventative measures for PSAP among stroke patients in this study setting.