Elevated body temperature in ischemic stroke associated with neurological improvement

Objectives Some studies suggest that high body temperature within the first few hours of ischemic stroke onset is associated with improved outcome. We hypothesized an association between high body temperature on admission and detectable improvement within 6‐9 hours of stroke onset. Materials and Methods Consecutive ischemic stroke patients with NIHSS scores obtained within 3 hours and in the interval 6‐9 hours after stroke onset were included. Body temperature was measured on admission. Results A total of 315 patients with ischemic stroke were included. Median NIHSS score on admission was 6. Linear regression showed that NIHSS score 6‐9 hours after stroke onset was inversely associated with body temperature on admission after adjusting for confounders including NIHSS score