Assessment of plasma D-dimer level in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background: Stroke is defined as "rapidly clinical symptoms of focal (or global) impairment of brain function, lasting longer than 24 hours or leading to death, with vascular origin " according to the World Health Organization. It has been suggested that elevated circulating D-dimer molecule is formed when plasmin digests the fibrin clot. Values may be associated with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Aim: to estimate the level of plasma D-dimer in acute ischemic stroke patients and to study the effect of sociodemographic data on the level of D-dimer.Method: It's a cross-sectional study of 300 participants of whom 200 were with acute ischemic stroke AIS (patients) and the remain were disease free (control), blood samples were taken in sodium citrate tubes from each participant, and a suitable appropriate kit was used to assess plasma levels of D-dimer after 24 hours after insult. On admission, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was assessed without regard to D-dimer levels. Results: Age, Diabetes, hypertension, ischemic Heart disease and score of NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ) were statistically significant with D-dimer levels (p>0.05)Conclusion: older in age, diabetic, Hypertensive, had ischemic heart disease with total anterior cerebral infarction or sever NIHSS was positively associated with higher level of D-dimer.