[Stroke patients--a challenge to primary health care]

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of stroke in a community. All new stroke cases in the municipality of Stange were registered during one year. In 10,000 inhabitants we found 48 new cases, 18 of them died during the observation time of six months. 19 patients needed full-time care for 1-4 months, seven of them for more than six months. A general practitioner with 1,500 patients had six new stroke patients a year, four of them needed medical follow-up. To take better care of stroke patients, we need to re-organize and improve the coordination of resources in primary health care.