[Evaluation of a stroke unit at a university hospital in Chile].
BACKGROUND
Stroke is the second specific cause of death in Chile, with a mortality rate of 48.6 per 100.000 inhabitants. It accounts for 6% of all hospitalizations among adults.


OBJECTIVE
To study the type of patients hospitalized at a Stroke Unit in a general hospital and the costs and benefits of such unit.


METHODS
A descriptive and retrospective study using a patient registry, developed in Access that included separate sections for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Established diagnostic criteria were used. The mean costs per patient and complications were also calculated.


RESULTS
During 2003, 425 stroke patients were admitted to our hospital and 105 (age range 30-89 years, 58% female) were hospitalized at the Stroke Unit. Eighty-three percent had ischemic and 16% had hemorrhagic stroke. The most common etiologies were thrombosis in 41%, embolism in 36%, lacunar in 13%, arterial dissection in 5% and transient ischemic attack in 3%. Fifty eight percent of patients had partial anterior ischemic stroke (PACI), 73% had hypertension and 29.5% diabetes. Only 18% arrived to the Stroke Unit with less of 6 hours of evolution, 7% of patients were admitted within the 3 hours after the onset of symptoms and 18%, from 3 to 6 hours. The mean length of stay in the Stroke Unit was 6.6 days and at the hospital 9.9 days (p <0.01). The mean costs per patient at the Stroke Unit and at the hospital were US$ 5.550 and US$ 4.815, respectively (p =ns).


CONCLUSIONS
The Stroke Unit decreases hospital stay days without raising costs importantly. The inclusion criteria for stroke patients admitted to the Unit were adequate and the stroke registry allowed a good assessment of the Unit operation.
Díaz T
Violeta
V
Departamento de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Unidad de Patología Cerebro Vascular, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Chile. vdias@med.uchile.cl
Illanes D
Sergio
S
Reccius M
Andrés
A
Manterola V
José L
JL
Cerda C
Paulina
P
Recabarren L
Carmen
C
González V
Rafael
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002677:Chile; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*