title: Stroke in patients with diabetes mellitus: a study from North Western Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and apart from being exceedingly harmful in diabetics, stroke is a disabling disorder. The study was undertaken to describe the clinical characteristics, outcome pattern and predictors of mortality in a cohort of diabetic patients presenting with stroke in two tertiary health facilities in North Western Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of all stroke patients seen from June 2007 to February 2011, persons with diabetes mellitus presenting with stroke in the emergency unit of the two tertiary hospitals in Kano were consecutively recruited for the study. Classification of stroke into hemorrhagic and infarctive subtypes was based on brain computerized tomography (CT), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Follow-up period was for thirty days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the five hundred and thirty six stroke patients seen during the study period, 85 (15.9%) patients, comprising 48 (56.5%) males, had diabetes. Thirty eight (44.7%) of the identified diabetics were previously undiagnosed. Sixty four (75.3%) had infarctive stroke. One-month case fatality rate was 30.6%. Factors associated with death included male sex, past history of TIA, abnormal respiratory pattern, hemorrhagic stroke, aspiration pneumonitis, and worsening GCS. Aspiration pneumonitis and worsening GCS were independent predictors of one month mortality of stroke in the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In DM patients studied, infarctive stroke was more common, case fatality was 30.6%. Male gender, past history of TIA, abnormal respiratory pattern, hemorrhagic stroke, aspiration pneumonitis, and worsening Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) were associated with mortality. Aspiration pneumonitis and worsening GCS were independent predictors of one month mortality of stroke in diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University.
authors.forename: Lukman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Owolabi
authors.affiliation: Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Department of Medicine.
authors.forename: Mansur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagode
authors.affiliation: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University.
authors.forename: Aliyu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uloko
authors.affiliation: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gezawa
authors.affiliation: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Datti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: Nigeria; Stroke; diabetes; stroke