Reasons for Delay in Presentation of Acute Stroke Patients in Teritary Health Centre in Abuja

Background: Stroke is a life-threatening condition which continues to be a major public health problem leading to death and severe neurologic disability. The time of presentation remains a crucial for the use of intravenous thrombolysis. This study aims at evaluating the time to presentation of acute stroke and the factors that affect this time, and see if efforts could be made to reduce delay to enhance therapeutic intervention. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out with a total of eighty-two consecutive patient admitted into the medical wards. All patients had full clinical assessment and investigations, including demographic aspects, Prior and source of knowledge of stroke warning symptom, means of transportation to the hospital and duration before presentation and possible reasons for delay. Data collected was analysed by frequency, mean, standard deviation and chi-square test. Results: Of the 82 study participants, 50% had Cerebral infarction, 34.1% intracerebral hemorrhage, and 15.9% subarachnoid hemorrhage. Those with previous knowledge of one-sided weakness were 78% and difficulty with speech were 54.9% among the stroke warning symptoms. About 33% presented before 4 hours while 50% of patient presented between 6 to 11hours. Only 3.66% used ambulance service to the hospital. Among the possible reason for delay 45.1% were not aware of the dangers of delayed treatment and 40.2% complain of distance to the hospital. Conclusion: Our study though hospital-based, has been able to highlight unawareness of the dangers of delayed treatment and distance to the hospital as major factors contributing to prehospital delay which are obviously modifiable.