MONDAY, Oct. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Early leg crossing after severe stroke is a favorable prognostic marker associated with better clinical outcomes, according to a study published in the Oct. 11 issue of Neurology.
Jan Rémi, M.D., from the University of Munich in Germany, and colleagues investigated whether crossed legs are a prognostic marker in patients with severe stroke. A total of 34 patients who crossed their legs were matched with 34 randomly selected patients with severe stroke who did not cross their legs. The patients were assessed on admission, on the day of leg crossing, at discharge, and at one year following discharge using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Barthel Index (BI).
The investigators found that, upon admission, there was no difference in any scale among patients who crossed their legs and those who did not. At discharge, the NIHSS, mRS, and the BI were all significantly better in patients who crossed their legs, but there was no difference between the two groups in the GCS. At one-year following discharge, mRS and the BI were significantly better in the crossed leg group. There was a significant difference in mortality in the two groups: only one patient died in the crossing group versus 18 in the noncrossing group.
"Leg crossing within the first 15 days after severe stroke indicates a favorable outcome which includes [fewer] neurologic deficits, better independence in daily life, and lower rates of death," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract
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