A comprehensive analysis of stroke admissions at a rural Nigerian tertiary health facility: Insights from a single-center study

OBJECTIVES: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke admissions in a rural Nigerian hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of stroke admissions was conducted over 1 year. All necessary data were obtained from patients’ records and SPSS was employed for data analysis. P < 0.05 was deemed significant. RESULTS: There were 52 stroke cases, accounting for 5.9% of medical admissions. The patients’ mean age was 62.81 ± 12.71 years, while females constituted 51.9% of cases. Common risk factors included hypertension (76.9%), hyperlipidemia (38.5%), alcohol (26.9%), and diabetes mellitus (26.9%). Clinical manifestations included hemiparesis/plegia (84.6%), altered consciousness (63.5%), slurred speech (61.5%), cranial nerve deficit (61.5%), aphasia (42.3%), and headache (34.6%). Ischemic stroke (71.2%) predominated over hemorrhagic stroke (28.8%). The average hospitalization duration was 17.62 ± 8.91 days, and the mean onset to arrival time was 121.31 ± 136.06 h. Discharge and mortality rates were 82.7% and 13.5%, respectively. The association between stroke subtypes and mortality was significant (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Stroke constitutes a significant portion of medical admissions in Nigeria, with ischemic stroke being more prevalent. High mortality rates underscore the urgent need to manage risk factors to prevent stroke.