Profile of stroke patients seen in a tertiary health care center in Nigeria

Background: The profile of patients seen with acute stroke has been sparsely described in north-western Nigeria, even though stroke constitutes an important cause of severe disability in adults. Aims: (1) The primary aim is to determine the clinical and socio-demographic profile of stroke patients seen in a tertiary hospital. (2) The secondary aim is to determine the 30-day case fatality. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study carried out using the case records of patients admitted from January 2007 to December 2009 with the clinical diagnosis of stroke at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital. Relevant clinical data were extracted using a structured questionnaire designed for the study. Results: A total of 370 case files with the clinical diagnosis of stroke were traced, but only 260 had complete information. The mean age of patients was 55.7 ± 14.3 years; hypertension (74.6%) was the most common modifiable risk factor for stroke followed by diabetes mellitus (8.8%). Stroke constituted 1.2% of all hospital admissions and 8.5% of death in the medical units. The 24-h and 30-day case fatalities were 11.9% and 38.4%, respectively. The mean duration of hospitalization for stroke survivors was 21 days, but the duration of hospitalization prior to death for those that died was 4 days. Conclusion: The 30-day case fatality of acute stroke was high and hypertension was the most common modifiable risk factor for stroke. Prompt and adequate measures should be taken to improve outcome of stroke.