A Seven-Year retrospective review of stroke admissions in Benin-City, Southern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Stroke is a significant cause of hospital admissions, disability and mortality, but there is a lack of information onstroke in parts of the southern region of Nigeria.Objective: To analyze the frequency of stroke admissions, clinical presentations, risk factors, stroke types and outcomes over seven years, in a secondary level hospital in southern Nigeria. Methods:Thiswas a retrospective study. The hospital recordof patients hospitalizedbetween January 2006 and December 2012 at the Central Hospital, Benin-City with thediagnosis of stroke based on the World Health Organization (WHO)-clinical criteria,were studied. Results: Four hundred and nineteen patients with stroke were hospitalizedduring the study period; thisaccounted for 3.1% of all the medical admissions. The mean age was 62.4 ± 13.6 years. There were 222 (53%) males and 197(47.0%) females. Ischaemic stroke occurred among 71% of cases; others included intra-cerebral haemorrhage (26%)andsubarachnoid haemorrhage (3.1%). The main presenting features includedhemiparesis (69%) and sudden loss of consciousness (27.2%). The risk factors included hypertension (84%)and diabetes mellitus (12.2%). The 7, 14 and 30 days case fatality rates were 21.2%, 25.5% and 30.8% respectively. A higher case fatality rate was recordedin haemorrhagic stroke compared to ischaemic stroke (68.8% vs24%, p =0.0001).Conclusion:Stroke was a significant cause of mortality amongst medical admissions and hypertension was the most common risk factor. Closer attention to the risk factors for stroke may likely help to reduce the burden of stroke