The prognosis of acute stroke in a tertiary health centre in south-east Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Stroke is a common neurologic disorder and it is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide after ischaemic heart disease and cancer.This study determined the prognosis of acute stroke in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) South-East Nigeria. METHODOLOGY It was a retrospective, descriptive and hospital based study conducted in a tertiary health centre in Abakaliki south-east Nigeria. The stroke register of the neurology unit was reviewed and relevant data were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS Stroke accounted for 12% of medical death with 24 hour, 7 day and 30 day mortality rates of 5%, 10% and 15% respectively. Factors associated with stroke mortality include advanced age, female sex, extremes of blood pressure, loss of consciousness and haemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSION There should be regular health education with emphasis on primary prevention of stroke. Also, stroke patients should be referred early to a stroke unitfor adequate management.