Stroke survivors ae the focus of a two-year programme of research to improve diagnosis and outcomes of a common complication.
Consultant Stroke Physician Dr Amit Kishore has been awarded an extension to his MAHSC Neuroscience Clinical Fellowship in post-stroke pneumonia, first awarded in 2021. This complication affects 14 per cent of stroke patients and has a significant impact on survival.
The funding will support several initiatives, including:
- The Stroke-Associated Infections after Mechanical Thrombectomy (SAINT-MT) study, of more than 700 patients, examining infection risks in patients receiving blood clot removal treatment.
- The CLArithromycin for post-Stroke Pneumonia (CLASP) trial testing whether adding an additional antibiotic improves recovery. Dr Kishore is co-applicant for this study and the local Principal Investigator.
- A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analyses of long-term survival rates in stroke-associated pneumonia patients after stroke worldwide, with findings to be presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) in Helsinki in 2025.
- Development of the first European Stroke Organisation (ESO) clinical guidelines for pneumonia diagnosis and management after stroke, due autumn 2025.
- Development of a grant application for a sub-study looking at the use of pulmonary CT in stroke-associated pneumonia. The British Irish Association of Stroke Physicians has awarded funding to support this.
Dr Kishore explained: “The research aims to establish standard diagnostic criteria, optimising antibiotic use while tackling antibiotic resistance. The European guidelines will provide recommendations for managing pneumonia after stroke in clinical practice across hospital stroke units.”