Ischemic stroke in children with critical illness: a poor prognostic sign.

A consecutive case series of 55 children (0-17 years old) with arterial ischemic stroke is reported. Twenty of these children were critically ill at the time their stroke occurred. Mortality among these 20 children was 40%, compared with 3% in non-critically ill children with arterial ischemic stroke; overall mortality in this case series was 16%. Mortality resulted primarily from the underlying illness. Prognosis after stroke is markedly worsened in children with premorbid critical illness.