Clinical pattern and predictors of stroke treatment outcome among hospitalised patients who had a stroke at Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialised hospital, northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the clinical pattern and predictors of stroke treatment outcomes among hospitalised patients in Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialised hospital (FHCSH) in northwest Ethiopia.

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: The study was conducted medical ward of FHCSH.

Participants: The medical records of 597 adult patients who had a stroke were included in the study. All adult (≥18 years) patients who had a stroke had been admitted to the medical ward of FHSCH during 2015-2019 were included in the study. However, patients with incomplete medical records (ie, incomplete treatment regimen and the status of the patients after treatment) were excluded in the study.

Results: In the present study, 317 (53.1%) were males, and the mean age of the study participants was 61.08±13.76 years. About two-thirds of patients (392, 65.7%) were diagnosed with ischaemic stroke. Regarding clinical pattern, about 203 (34.0%) of patients complained of right-side body weakness and the major comorbid condition identified was hypertension (216, 64.9%). Overall, 276 (46.2%) of them had poor treatment outcomes, and 101 (16.9%) of them died. Patients who cannot read and write (AOR=42.89, 95% CI 13.23 to 111.28, p<0.001), attend primary school (AOR=22.11, 95% CI 6.98 to 55.99, p<0.001) and secondary school (AOR=4.20, 95% CI 1.42 to 12.51, p<0.001), diagnosed with haemorrhagic stroke (AOR=2.68, 95% CI 1.62 to 4.43, p<0.001) and delayed hospital arrival more than 24 hours (AOR=2.92, 95% CI 1.83 to 4.66, p=0.001) were the independent predictors of poor treatment outcome.

Conclusions: Approximately half of the patients who had a stroke had poor treatment outcomes. Ischaemic stroke was the most predominantly diagnosed stroke type. Education status, types of stroke and the median time from onset of symptoms to hospitalisation were the predictors of treatment outcome. Health education should be given to patients regarding clinical symptoms of stroke. In addition, local healthcare providers need to consider the above risk factors while managing stroke.