Risk of pneumonia associated with zero‐degree head positioning in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator

ConclusionsZero‐degree head of bed positioning in the first 24 h following an acute ischemic stroke treated with IV‐tPA was associated with acceptable rates of pneumonia. Rates for pneumonia may be further reduced by eliminating use of a 0° protocol in intubated/mechanically ventilated patients. A zero‐degree head of bed position is recommended to increase cerebral perfusion in nonhypoxic acute ischemic stroke patients able to tolerate lying flat. However, this is not uniformly applied in clinical practice, most likely due to concerns of aspiration pneumonia. In our retrospective descriptive study, zero‐degree positioning in the first 24 h following an acute ischemic stroke treated with IV‐tPA was associated with acceptable rates of pneumonia.
Source: Brain and Behavior - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Original Research Source Type: research