Publication:

Pattern of stroke patients admitted at a tertiary Hospital in Bangladesh

Background Stroke is one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to understand the pattern of stroke in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh.

Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out from June to November 2023 among diagnosed stroke patients. Convenient sampling was used to select the 60 patients from Chattogram Maa O Shishu Hospital, Bangladesh. A face-to-face interview was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were performed by IBM SPSS software.

Results Among 60 patients, almost half (48.3%) were in the 65–84 age group. Most of the patients had HTN (81.7%) and DM (55%). About 40% of ischemic and haemorrhagic patients had arrived at the hospital before 6 hours. This study also found that only 38% of ischemic stroke patients and 20% of haemorrhagic patients had a good (13–15) GCS score. The NIHSS score was very severe (21-42) among 36% of ischemic stroke patients and 40% of haemorrhagic stroke patients. Vomiting, GCS, headache, convulsion, pulse, and diastolic blood pressure had a significant (p≤0.05) association with stroke.

Conclusions Ischemic stroke was the predominant form of stroke, and a large number of patients arrived at the hospital on time. Rapid initiation of treatment can decrease morbidity and mortality rates significantly. So, a stroke center should be established as soon as possible to save patients' lives.