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Brain attack: the multifaceted potential for action
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
Insights
This study analyzed acute stroke patients in Singapore, finding younger individuals with hypertension are common. Delayed presentation impacts treatment, highlighting needs for improved stroke care coordination.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in Singapore.
- Understanding acute stroke patient profiles is crucial for effective management.
- The study examines stroke cases at Singapore General Hospital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile patients with acute stroke presenting to the Emergency Department.
- To inform future early interventional trials for stroke.
- To identify areas for multidisciplinary approach improvement in stroke care.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study design.
- Patient records identified using ICD-9 codes.
- Data collected from 240 out of 309 identified acute stroke patients.
Main Results:
- Local stroke patients are relatively young (two-thirds < 70 years).
- Hypertension is the predominant risk factor (80%).
- Delayed presentation (only 16.7% within 6 hours) and an average hospital stay of 10-12 days were observed.
Conclusions:
- Effective stroke management requires coordinated efforts across all stages of care.
- Addressing delayed presentation is key to improving outcomes.
- The study underscores the need for a concerted multidisciplinary approach to combat stroke.
Background:
Stroke is the number 3 killer in Singapore and a common contributor to morbidity statistics. This study was done to look at the profile of patients with acute stroke presenting to the Emergency Department, Singapore General Hospital, from 1 October to 31 November 1996. The data will help plan and guide future early interventional trials as well as look into possible areas of improvement in the multidisciplinary approach to stroke.
Method:
This is a retrospective study and patients records were traced using ICD-9 codes. A total of 309 patients were identified for the period of review; of this, the records of 240 patients were obtained (77.7%).
Results:
The results revealed that local stroke patients are young (two-thirds are < 70 years) and live in high-rise accommodation (84.2%) with their families. The predominant risk factor was hypertension (80%) and weakness was the most common presentation (25%). Stroke patients are presenting at a later stage (only 16.7% presented within 6 hours of onset) and the average length of hospital stay was between 10 and 12 days.
Conclusion:
This study identified the multiple measures at various stages of the stroke chain, required to build up a concerted effort against Brain Attack.