OCCURRENCE OF STROKE IN COVID-19: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: In late 2019, several cases of Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) were diagnosed in Wuhan, China, and then also diagnosed in other regions of the world, creating a global pandemic. Stroke is a heterogeneous syndrome comprising several pathophysiological mechanisms, many of which appear to be influenced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review article was developed to summarize information on the relationship between stroke and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review. Data collection occurred in the months of December 2021 and January 2022 in the following databases: PubMed, Scielo and LILACS. The descriptors "COVID-19", "stroke" and "cerebral ischemia" were used to search the articles, combined with Boolean operators. Results and discussion: Patients with COVID-19 who presented CVA had more severe stroke, longer hospital stays, higher mortality, but had similar comorbidities to patients who presented stroke without the presence of viral infection by SARS-COV-2. Final considerations: With this study, it is possible to conclude that more articles are needed that search with fidelity the relationship between COVID-19 and stroke. To date, studies show higher numbers of stroke related to severe cases of COVID-19, with higher mortality and longer hospitalizations. Confounding factors need to be considered, such as age and comorbidities more prevalent in the populations studied.