Reduction of stroke mortality in the Tuzla region, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the frequency, gender and age distribution, risk factors, and hospital mortality of different types of hospitalized patients with stroke.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, we analyzed the hospital records of 3864 patients with first-ever stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from January 2001 to December 2005.


RESULTS
Out of the total number of patients, 2833 (73.3%) had ischemic stroke (IS) 612 (15.8%) intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), 163 (4.2%) subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and 256 (6.6%) had unknown stroke. The mean age was 68+/-10 years in females, and 65+/-11 years in males (p=0.000). Overall, there were 2045 (53%) women (p=0.000). Women suffered from cardioembolic stroke more than men (21.7% versus 15.6%, p=0.000), and men were more affected by atherothrombotic stroke (37.4% versus 31.6%, p=0.000). The leading stroke risk factors were hypertension (70%), heart diseases (40%), smoking (28%), and diabetes mellitus (21%). The total hospital mortality was 29.6%, and hospital mortality in patients with IS was 20.6%, ICH 43.8%, and SAH 26.4%.


CONCLUSIONS
Women are older than men in all types of stroke. The leading risk factors for both genders are hypertension and heart diseases. The hospital mortality rate is lower than 30%.
Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Trnovac bb, 75 000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tel. +387 (61) 886673. Fax. +387 (35) 814029. E-mail: dsalihovic@yahoo.com.
Denisa O
DO
Salihovic
Dzevdet M
DM
Smajlovic
Osman I
OI
Sinanovic