Association between Braden Score and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with ischemic stroke: A MIMIC-IV retrospective analysis

Ischemic stroke (IS) is the most common subtype of stroke and a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. The Braden Score (BS), primarily used to assess pressure injury risk, has also been proposed as a marker of patient frailty. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BS and short-term mortality in critically ill patients with IS. Data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database, identifying IS patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients were categorized into low BS (<16) and high BS (≥16) groups. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize baseline differences. The primary outcomes were 28-day ICU mortality and 90-day in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess associations between BS and mortality, with results reported as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 2178 patients were included, with 1241 in the low BS group and 937 in the high BS group. Overall, 28-day ICU mortality was 9.23% and 90-day in-hospital mortality was 15.11%. Before and after propensity score matching, low BS was independently associated with higher mortality. After adjusting for confounders, low BS remained significantly associated with increased 28-day ICU mortality (HR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.34-3.78, P = .002) and 90-day in-hospital mortality (HR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.45-3.05, P < .001). BS is significantly associated with short-term mortality in critically ill IS patients and may serve as a simple, noninvasive prognostic tool in ICU settings.