A simple risk score for early ischemic stroke mortality derived from National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale: a discriminant analysis.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to design a new simpler form of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for use in emergency settings, and compare its predictive ability with original NIHSS score for mortality.

Methods: A total of 152 consecutive patients with first ever ischemic stroke admitted to a university affiliated hospital were recruited. NIHSS score on admission was estimated and the predictive ability of NIHSS items for mortality at 28 days was evaluated by logistic regression.

The underlying factor structure of National Institutes of Health Stroke scale: an exploratory factor analysis.

The underlying structure of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) as the most widely used scale in clinical trials has been the focus of little attention. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the clustering pattern of NIHSS items in ischemic stroke patients. A series of 152 consecutive patients with first-ever ischemic strokes admitted to a university affiliated hospital were enrolled.