The Influence of Stroke Subtype, Antihypertensive and ThrombolyticTherapy on Hospital Length of Stay for Stroke Patients in aResource-Limited Setting: A Retrospective Cohort Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47363/a46qky08Keywords:
Stroke, Brain Hemorrhage, Cerebral Ischemic Stroke, Age Comparison, LMICs, AfricaAbstract
Background: Age is a well-established risk factor for stroke, yet its distribution across different stroke subtypes remains underexplored, particularly in African populations. Understanding these variations may enhance diagnostic precision and inform early management strategies.
Objective: To investigate whether age at stroke onset differs significantly according to stroke subtype in a clinical cohort of African patients.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke, cerebral hemorrhagic stroke, cerebellar stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Age differences across groups were assessed using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc tests.
Results: 72 patients with cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) stayed less than a week; 33 stayed between 1–3 weeks; only 1 stayed more than 3 weeks. Secondly,43 patients with cerebral hemorrhagic stroke (CHS) stayed less than a week, 22 stayed between 1–3 weeks, and 6 stayed more than 3 weeks. On the other hand, patients with cerebellar stroke (CS) are rare, and all had short stays (<1 week)
95 patients using blood pressure-lowering drugs stayed <1 week; 51 stayed 1–3 weeks; 7 stayed >3 weeks. No antihypertensive group had 32, 4, and 0 in the same durations, respectively. Most patients received antihypertensives, suggesting hypertension was a dominant comorbidity.Only 1 patient receiving thrombolytic therapy stayed more than 3 weeks, while the rest (188) did not receive it and were mostly discharged within 1 to 3 weeks. The low thrombolytic use shows limited access to advanced stroke care in this study
Conclusion: Age at stroke onset varies significantly by subtype. Cerebral haemorrhagic stroke is more likely to occur at an older age, supporting its association with vascular fragility and long-standing hypertension. In contrast, ischemic stroke spans a broader age spectrum, underscoring the need for vigilance across all adult age groups. These findings reinforce the clinical value of considering patient age in the early differentiation of stroke subtype, particularly in high-burden settings.
