Southern Egypt Stroke Study: Case Fatality Rates in a Hospital-Based Setting

Background: The best approach to reduce the burden of stroke remains prevention. The large majority of epidemiological data available focus only on western countries. A better knowledge of stroke patients characteristics in Middle East and African communities will help to promote tailored campaigns by health care authorities and medical societies. Objectives: to determine the characteristics of hospitalized stroke patients and case fatality in Upper Egypt governorates areas (Sohag, Quena, Aswan). Methods: prospective hospital-based study carried out in the Neurology department of Sohag University hospital, involved 467 consecutive stroke patients. Demographic data, stroke-subtypes, risk factors, and stroke outcome, were analyzed. The study population was a consecutive series of patients admitted in the main tertiary health care level hospital of the area. Results: hemorrhagic strokes reported in 37.5% of cases. Fifty six % were above 60 years and 8.6% were juvenile events. Sixty two % of stroke occurred in autumn-winter. Hemorrhagic stroke was higher in spring-summer (53%). Hypertension was the more frequent risk factor reported in 42% of patients. In the study population smoking was present in 37.7%, ischemic heart diseases in 32.8%, dyslipidaemia in 29.5%, Diabetes (DM) in 21.6%, past history of stroke in 10.5%, obesity in 10.1%, positive family history for stroke in 9.6%, atrial fibrillation in 6%, Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in 5.6% of patients and alcohol abuse in 1.3%. The 1-month case fatality rate was 27.8%.