Abstract

BACKGROUND: In resource-poor setting, identification of predictors of death is of paramount importance for clinicians, so that specific therapies and management strategies can be applied to patients at high risk of dying. This study aims to determine the factors associated with death and predictors of in-patient mortality for stroke among a cohort of stroke patients in two tertiary centers in Northwestern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study of consecutive patients with acute stroke who were admitted to tertiary hospitals in northwestern Nigeria. A single observer, using pre-defined diagnostic criteria, recorded the information of interest including length of stay, outcome (dead or alive all through 30 days), time of death. RESULT: A total of 273 patients comprising 179 male and 94 female stroke patients were recruited. One hundred and seventy-four (63.7%) had infarctive stroke while 99 (36.3%) had hemorrhagic stroke (91 intracerebral and 8 sub-arachnoid hemorrhage). One-month mortality was 37%, and the majority was patients with hemorrhagic stroke (69.6%). About two-third (74.5%) of the mortalities occurred during the first week of the event. Logistic regression showed that severe systolic blood pressure, severe diastolic pressure, second or more episode of stroke, severe GCS, seizures, abnormal pupillary size, hemorrhagic stroke type, presence of aspiration pneumonitis, RBS > 200 mg/dl were independent predictors of mortality in stroke. CONCLUSION: The present study provides information on factors associated with death in stroke. GCS < 8, seizures, abnormal pupillary size, hemorrhagic stroke, aspiration pneumonitis were independent predictors of mortality.