Haemorrhagic stroke-incidence, risk factors and mortality

ABSTRACT

Cases of haemorrhagic stroke admitted to the Medical Unit V of Civil Hospital, Karachi from January 1992 to December 1993 were studied to determine the incidence, risk factors, site and size of haemorrhage and mortality. Out of 2073 patients admitted during the study period, those with stroke were 169 [8.15%]. Of these, 52 patients had haemorrhagic stroke thus accounting for 30.77% of stroke patients and 2.51% of all admissions. There were 34 [65.38%] male and 18 [34.62%] female patients. Forty [76.92%] of the 52 patients were above the age of 40 years. Hypertension was found in 32 [61.54%] patients. Site of haemorrhage was ganglionic in 18 [34.61%], thalamic in 9 [17.31%], subcortical lobar in 17 [32.69%], pontine in 3 [5.77%] and cerebellar in 2 [3.85%] patients while 3 [5.77%] patients had sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. The size of haemorrhage was >4cm in 4 patients, 3-4cm in 9 patients, 2.5-3cm in 8 patients and <2.5cm in 28 patients. Twenty nine patients died during hospitalization giving a case fatality rate of 55.77%