Long-term survival and outcome after first stroke in the Sicilian Aeolian Island Archipelago population.
BACKGROUND
Only a restricted number of population studies based on long-term prognosis after a stroke have been published. We analyzed long-term survival and outcome in insular first-ever stroke population from the Aeolian Archipelago.


METHODS
From 1 July, 1999 to 30 June 2002, 62 patients with first-ever stroke were recruited to evaluate short-term incidence and outcome. Information for every patient was collected by phone interviews after 3 months, 1 year, and 4 years.


RESULTS
30 days case fatality rate was 24.2% (95% C.I. 14.22 to 36.75). Fifty-one percent (95% C.I. 35.8 to 66.3) of patients died before last survey and 39.1% died during the first year of follow-up. Annual approximate death risk amounted to about 10%. The cerebrovascular causes were the most frequent causes of death (65.2%). A high level of invalidity at 4 years was present in many survivors (40%). None of the deceased had followed physio-kinesitherapy, or applied for equipment or services.


CONCLUSIONS
More attentive medical care for stroke patients could help improve outcome, reducing mortality for patients from the Aeolian island, who already showed a low incidence.
La Spina
Paolino
P
Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Scienze Psichiatriche e Anestesiologiche Clinica Neurologica, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy. paololaspina@virgilio.it
Savica
Rodolfo
R
Serra
Salvatore
S
Calabrò
Rocco Salvatore
RS
Postorino
Paolo
P
Morgante
Letterio
L
Savettieri
Giovanni
G
Musolino
Rosa
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008521:Mediterranean Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*