Stroke in Sokoto, Nigeria: A Five Year Retrospective Study

Background: Morbidity and mortality from stroke is increasing in Africa. The focus now is on prevention. Effective preventive strategies in any locality will depend on the knowledge of the local pattern of the disease.
Methods: A retrospective study of 93 adult patients with stroke, seen at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto between January 1994 and December 1998 was carried out, aimed at highlighting the local pattern.
Results: Ninety-three cases of stroke made up of 54 males and 39 females were seen. Stroke constituted 0.36% of total hospital admissions and 1.9% of the total hospital mortality within the period. People most commonly affected were between 41 and 70 years. The major cause of stroke was hypertension (83.9%) The mortality rate was 37.6% and among those who died 74.3% died within the first two weeks of admission.
Conclusion: Those affected by stroke in this study fall mainly within the active segment of the society. There is urgent need to establish effective preventive measures to stem the depletion of the local workforce from the disease.