The incidence of acute stroke emergency admissions in an Irish teaching hospital.
BACKGROUND
Approximately 2,500 people die from stroke each year yet there is a lack of Irish services provision.


OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to investigate the incidence of acute stroke emergency admissions in a large teaching hospital and present an analysis of this cohort.


METHODS
All patients presenting acutely to the Emergency Department in 2005 meeting the WHO definition of stroke were included in our study. A chart review of the identified patients was conducted to obtain the necessary information.


RESULTS
A total of 273 patients experienced an acute stroke, representing 1.6% of all acute admissions. 81.7% (223) of patients survived to discharge from the acute hospital. At 1 year, 65.2% (178) patients were still alive post-stroke. The mean length of stay in our acute hospital was 21.1 days following stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Stroke represents a considerable burden on health resources within the hospital.
Hartigan
I
I
Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, UK. i.hartigan@ucc.ie
Cooke
J
J
Barry
P
P
O'Connor
M
M
O'Mahony
D
D
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*