What is it about?
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability around the world, but we know little about how many stroke patients die and why in Eastern Ethiopia. Most stroke care happens in public hospitals in the Harari region, making this information crucial. This study looked at 452 stroke patients in these hospitals from July 2019 to June 2024. We found that out of these patients, 292 (about 65%) improved, 21 (about 5%) left with complications, 63 (about 14%) died, and 76 (about 17%) left the hospital against medical advice. The overall death rate was about 7.6 per 1,000 patients per month. We discovered that certain factors increased the risk of death for stroke patients. These include having high blood pressure, heart failure, complications during treatment, infections acquired in the hospital, and low scores on the Glasgow Coma Scale (a measure of consciousness). On the other hand, patients who took antiplatelet medications had a lower risk of dying. The death rates we found are similar to those in other studies in Ethiopia. To help at-risk patients, we recommend better screening and follow-up care.
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Perspectives
In this study, we present the epidemiology of stroke, treatment outcomes, and predictors of stroke-related mortality in Ethiopia. The finding of such a study will be useful in assessing the epidemiology of cerebrovascular diseases and in developing healthcare strategies in these regions
Alemayehu Tesfaye
Haramaya University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mortality rate and predictors among stroke patients in the public hospitals in Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia, PLOS Global Public Health, September 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004414.
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