Abstract

SANTIAGO LOPEZ, William et al. Ischemic stroke: A five-year study. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2007, vol.36, n.4. ISSN 0138-6557.

A study of ischemic stroke was conducted at the Military Hospital of Santa Clara from 1998 to 2002. 246 patients entered the study: 166 thrombotic and 80 embolic, with 186 live discharges and 60 dead. An increase in the number of patients admitted per year was evidenced, with a trend to reduce the percentage of dead discharges. An increase of mortality with age was observed, without statistical relation between the type of stroke and mortality related to sex. Arterial hypertension was the risk factor with the highest incidence, with predominance of the cardiovascular diseases in the embolic patients. The association of 2 or more risk factors favored the complications and mortality. An important percentage of the sample received specialized medical attention with a delay of more than 6 hours, which had a significant mortality. The most frequent initial manifestations were motor alterations, whereas in the embolic stroke the consciousness alterations prevailed as an initial symptom. The most common cause of death was bacterial bronchopneumonia. The atherosclerotic cerebral disease was the basic determinant in the thrombotic patients, and the cardiovascular diseases in the embolic patients. The analysis of the studied variables and some deficiencies detected in the fulfilment of the diagnostic and therapeutic protocol may act as a starting point to implement health actions that decrease the morbilethality of ischemic stroke.

Keywords : Stroke; atherosclerosis; arterial hypertension.