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Stroke types, risk factors, quality of care and outcomes at a Referral Hospital in Western Kenya


CO Odour
A Keter
LO Diero
AM Siika
LS Williams

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of stroke is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa due to increases in size of  aging population and stroke risk factors.We assessed risk factors, quality of care and outcomes of stroke to identify modifiable risk factors and areas of care that need improvement for better outcomes.
Objectives: To describe the stroke types, risk factors, outcomes and stroke quality of care in a large academic medical centre hospital.
Design: Hospital based retrospective study.
Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, Kenya.
Subjects: All patients >18 years admitted with a diagnosis of stroke as per the WHO definition and with a supporting brain imaging (CT scan/ MRI )were included in the study. Data abstracted from the files included demographic details, stroke subtype, stroke risk factors, inpatient stroke care quality  indicators(based on US Joint Commission stroke quality indicator definitions) and in hospital stroke  outcomes. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise the data.
Results: A total of 155 patients had stroke between January 2010 and December 2014 of whom 42% were male, the median age was 61 (IQR: 49-72) years. Majority (73%) had hypertension. The prevalence of diabetes was 4%. Left hemiplegia/hemiparesis was the predominant presentation (50%). Haemorrhagic strokes were frequent (52%) with anterior circulation stroke comprising 97% of all strokes. Assessment of quality of care indicators showed that overall, 84% of the patients had a brain CT scan on day one of admission,93% had a GCS documented at admission, 32% were on statins and 3% were screened for dysphagia before oral intake. Among patients with ischaemic strokes; none underwent thrombolysis, 24% received DVT prophylaxis, 54% received statins, and 73% received anti-thrombotic therapy by hospital day two. In hospital mortalityoccurred in 43(27%)with a higher rate among haemorrhagic strokes (31%) compared to ischaemic stroke (24%)(p=0.364).
Conclusion: Haemorrhagic stroke was the most common type of stroke admitted, hypertension was the predominant risk factor and most strokes involved the anterior circulation. In-hospital mortality was 27%.There were several opportunities to improve evidence-based quality of care indicators.


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