[Characteristics of care to patients with stroke in a secondary hospital]

To describe the assistance profile of stroke patients accomplished in Hospital Universitário of University of São Paulo (HU-USP), by the Internal Medicine team of the Emergency Room, as being a standard of non-tertiary hospital.

Retrospective analysis of 228 patients with cerebrovascular disease, assisted from 1989 to 1993.

We found the following subgroup distribution: 53% of patients had ischemic strokes, 26%, had hemorrhagic strokes, 2% had association from both and 19% were not classified. Among risk factors, we found an incidence of 67,5% for arterial hypertension; 24.6% for cardiac disease (chronic atrial fibrillation being the most frequent); diabetes occurred in 20.2% of cases. Among complications, coma was present in 22.4% of cases; respiratory insufficiency occurred in 15%; infection, in 29%. Death rate was 14. 5%. Average permanence in hospital was 4.11 days.

The epidemiological aspects and complications reproduced the data described in the literature. Some negative aspects were inadequacy of accommodations and the great incidence of pulmonary infections. However, the mortality rate was comparable to the lowest found in literature.