Table 1.
Statistical analysis of clinical characteristics between two groups
| Variables | Non-SAP | SAP | χ2 | OR | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elderly age (≥75 years old) | 396 (16.8%) | 87 (43.5%) | 85.402 | 3.803 | < 0.001 |
| Male sex | 1635 (69.5%) | 133 (66.5%) | 0.787 | 1.148 | 0.375 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 121 (5.1%) | 50 (25.0%) | 116.239 | 6.146 | < 0.001 |
| Dysphagia | 389 (16.5%) | 51 (25.5%) | 10.373 | 1.727 | 0.001 |
| NIHSS score (≥16 points)* | 12 (0.5%) | 33 (16.5%) | – | – | < 0.001 |
| NIHSS score (5–15 points)* | 742 (31.5%) | 114 (57.0%) | – | – | < 0.001 |
| NIHSS score (0–4 points)* | 1598 (67.9%) | 53 (26.5%) | – | – | < 0.001 |
| Random hyperglycemia | 257 (10.9%) | 35 (17.5%) | 7.860 | 1.729 | 0.005 |
| Fasting hyperglycemia | 566 (24.1%) | 95 (47.5%) | 52.747 | 2.855 | < 0.001 |
| Random or fasting hyperglycemia | 619 (26.3%) | 99 (49.5%) | 48.992 | 2.744 | < 0.001 |
| Posterior circulation infarction | 772 (32.8%) | 71 (35.5%) | 0.597 | 1.126 | 0.440 |
NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
*NIHSS scores was compared using nonparametric tests
There was no significant difference in gender and infarction site between the SAP group and non-SAP group (P > 0.05). The incidence of SAP in patients with the following factor(s) was significantly higher than that in patients without the following factor(s) (P < 0.05): elderly age (≥75 years old), atrial fibrillation, dysphagia, random hyperglycemia, fasting hyperglycemia, or random or fasting hyperglycemia. Therefore, these factors were considered as potential risk factors for SAP. These patients were classified into three subgroups according to stroke severity (NIHSS score), and there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of pneumonia among these three subgroups (P < 0.05)