Tharshanah Thayabaranathan (Australia)
Monash University
Translational Public Health and Evaluation Division, Stroke and Ageing Research Group, Department of Medicine
Dr Tharshanah Thayabaranathan is an Early Career Research Fellow in the Translational Public Health and Evaluation Division, Stroke and Ageing Research (STAR), Department of Medicine, Monash University. Her research interests lie in exploring ways to improve stroke care and patient outcomes at a hospital and community-level, with a particular focus on people with communication problems and psychological disorders post-stroke. She is currently involved in a number of projects in the field of stroke and is particularly interested in pursuing future studies in communication problems post-stroke, psychological disorders post-stroke, disease epidemiology, and lifestyle medicine.

Presenter of 1 Presentation

 Conference Calendar

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH APHASIA FOLLOWING STROKE USING LINKED CLINICAL REGISTRY AND HOSPITAL DATA

Session Name
0100 - Stroke Rehabilitation and Neonatal Stroke (ID 15)
Session Type
Free Communication Session
Date
28.10.2021, Thursday
Session Time
10:00 - 11:30
Room
FREE COMMUNICATIONS A
Presenter
Lecture Time
10:10 - 10:20

Abstract

Background and Aims

The reasons people with post-stroke aphasia have poor health outcomes are not well understood. We aimed to determine factors associated with aphasia, and compare the frequency of post-stroke hospital readmissions amongst patients with and without aphasia.

Methods

Patient-level data from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (years 2009-2013) were linked to national death data, hospital emergency presentations and admissions data from Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with aphasia identified from ICD10 discharge codes for the index stroke event. Cox regression was used for hospital readmissions within 30 days, 90 days, 180 days and 1-year. Comorbidities were identified using ICD-10 coded admission data from 5-years prior to the stroke event.

Results

12,690 adults with stroke were included (median age 76; 54% male; 77% ischaemic stroke); 26% identified with aphasia. The factors most strongly associated with aphasia were prior diagnosis of stroke (aOR 7.76, 95%CI 2.44-24.7; p<0.001), paraplegia (aOR 1.57, 95%CI 1.42-1.75; p<0.001), and atrial fibrillation (aOR 1.56, 95%CI 1.41-1.73; p<0.001). Compared to people without aphasia, people with aphasia more often had a hospital readmission within 180 days (HR 1.11, 95%CI 1.02-1.22; p=0.009), and 1-year (HR 1.12, 95%CI 1.03-1.21; p=0.005). Hospital readmissions within 30 days and 90 days were not significantly different.

Conclusions

Patients with prior stroke are more likely to experience aphasia following a new stroke event. Early aphasia-specific secondary stroke prevention, education and support may help reduce the prevalence of post-stroke aphasia and hospital readmissions.

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