Epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of stroke in rural versus urban hospitals in Cameroon.

Objectives: Stroke is a major public health problem worldwide with disparities between urban and rural areas. The aim of this study was to compare the epidemiological, clinical features and outcomes of stroke between rural and urban hospitals in Cameroon.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at the Douala General Hospital (urban) and Ad Lucem Hospital of Banka (rural) from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019. The medical records of all patients admitted for stroke, and meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Diagnosis of stroke was based on brain imaging and/or the World Health Organization definition. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.

Results: Among the 15277 files reviewed, 752 were included with 623 cases (82.80%) in urban areas. The percentage of patients hospitalized for stroke were 9.06% and 2.85% in urban and rural hospitals respectively. The frequency of patients admitted for severe stroke (Glasgow coma scale ≤ 8) was higher in the rural hospital (p = 0.004). In-hospital mortality (p = 0.010), cumulative mortality at one-month (p = 0.018), poor functional recovery (p = 0.002), one-year stroke recurrence (p = 0.020) were significantly higher in rural setting. Undefined stroke was predictor of mortality in the rural hospital, while hemorrhagic stroke was predictor of mortality at one-month in the urban hospital.

Conclusions: Stroke cases were significantly more severe with poor outcomes in the rural hospital. Efforts are needed to improve prevention, and access to stroke care for communities, especially in rural setting.