Signo de Frank y su asociación a comorbilidades en pacientes de 45 a 85 años con enfermedad cerebro vascular en el Hospital General Monte Sinaí en el periodo julio 2023 - abril 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Frank's sign, discovered in 1973 by Dr. Sanders T. Frank, is an indentation on the edge of the earlobe found in patients with heart disease. Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a neurovascular emergency characterized by ischemia in brain tissue. In 2018, a study was carried out on the possible relationship that intracranial atherosclerosis may have with Frank's sign. In Ecuador, the management of CVD is a great challenge due to various factors such as the economy, time threshold for treatment, lack of resources in hospitals and lack of staff training. Objective: To associate Frank's sign with comorbidities in patients aged 45 to 85 years with cerebrovascular disease at the Monte Sinaí General Hospital in the period July 2023 - April 2024. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational and analytical study. 80 adult patients admitted to the Monte Sinaí General Hospital with a diagnosis of ischemic CVD were chosen between the period of July 2023 and April 2024. The variables considered were: age, sex, Frank sign, CVD, and associated comorbidities. The Rankin, Glasgow and NIHSS clinical scales were used to assess the severity and extent of CVD. Results: Of the 80 patients admitted with a diagnosis of CVD, 55.25% presented Frank's sign. With respect to sex, no difference was evident between participants of both genders. Among the comorbidities, the patients presented 43 different diseases, the most prevalent being high blood pressure (70%). In the evolution of CVD in each patient, it was found that all the patients who died, and the majority of those who were discharged with disability, presented Frank's sign from their admission, on the other hand, the patients who presented no or mild severity according to The aforementioned clinical scales did not present Frank's sign, and he was discharged in stable conditions. Conclusions: Patients admitted with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke who present Frank's sign may have an association with a greater number of comorbidities; to a worse evolution of the disease, both in greater disability, symptoms and mortality