A 2-year review of stroke admissions and short term out-come predictors in a teaching hospital, Southeast, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a common neurological disorder with a huge global burden in terms of mortality and
morbidity. Epidemiological evidence has shown that modifiable risk factors are responsible for more than
90% of all strokes. Stroke outcome in hospitalized patients is influenced by several variables, such as socio-demographic factors, stroke subtype, and admission severity. The interaction between stroke outcomes and
these parameters is often complex. The study is aimed to profile hospitalized stroke patients and determine
outcome predictors.
Methodology: A descriptive retrospective study of 100 patients hospitalized for acute stroke. Their medical
records were reviewed for demographic and clinical variables and relevant data were retrieved and analysed
using appropriate statistical methods.
Results: Of the 100 acute stroke patients studied, 36% were men and 64% were women. The mean age was
65.16±15.72. About 78% had ischemic strokes while 21% had haemorrhagic strokes. The commonest risk
factor was hypertension (71.2%). On multivariate analysis, stroke subtype, and admission duration were
significantly linked to stroke outcome.
Conclusion: Ischemic stroke comprises more than two-thirds of stroke admissions, with hypertension being
the most common risk factor and stroke case fatality of 23%. Stroke subtype and admission duration
significantly predicted stroke outcomes. The need to step up measures aimed at improving acute stroke care in
hospitalized patients is imperative as this will hopefully improve overall outcomes in resource-constrained settings such as Nigeria.