Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality affecting sub-Saharan Africa. Studies show that dedicated stroke units improve patient outcomes. National District Hospital (NDH) manages strokes, with the potential of becoming a dedicated stroke unit in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of patients presenting with stroke at NDH. METHODS: In this retrospective descriptive study, emergency department registers were used to identify patients presenting with symptoms of a stroke between 01 January 2019 and 31 March 2019. Relevant data were extracted from hospital files. RESULTS: Of the 106 identified patients, 53 were included in the study. The median age was 61 years (range 28-89 years), with an almost equal split between genders. The most common risk factor was hypertension (81.3%). The median time from symptom onset to presentation at NDH was 9 h. No patient received thrombolysis. One patient received neurosurgical intervention. The most prescribed secondary preventative drugs were antihypertensive medication, statins, anticoagulation and antiretroviral therapy. Half (52.8%) of the patients received rehabilitation as in-patients. Final diagnoses were ischaemic strokes (26/53, 49.0%), transient ischaemic attacks (10/56, 22.7%) and haemorrhagic strokes (6/56, 13.6%). The 6-month post-infarct mortality rate was 37.5%. CONCLUSION: Patient outcomes were comparable to similar South African studies. Time delays in stroke management remain a major obstacle. Identified action points include community education, improving emergency medical services and establishing a dedicated stroke unit.Contribution: This study underlines the importance of stroke and cardiovascular disease prevention and stresses the value of establishing dedicated stroke units.