COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS ADMITTED WITH CARDIO-VASCULAR ACCIDENT/ STROKE IN LADY READING HOSPITAL PESHAWAR

ABSTRACT
Background: Complications are a common and serious threat to patients with acute cardio vascular accident/ stroke.
The aim of this study was to assess various complications of stroke patients of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.
Method: Six months cross-sectional study of 157 cases of stroke was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and
Medical Departments of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan, from October 2012 to April 2013. All the stroke
patients who had recent stroke and were referred to LRH were included in the study and relevant data regarding complications
was collected from the patient’s record by means of a structured questionnaire.
Results: Results of 157 patients were analyzed as: most of the patients were males n=120 (76.43%) and male to female
ratio was 3.2:1. In n=114 (72.61%) cases of stroke patients were having age above 40 years. In n= 86 (54.78%) had
positive history of diabetes mellitus; in n=129 (82.17%) had catheterization, in n=97(61.78%) had prophylactic use of
antibiotic while in approximately n=87 (55.41%) had poor Glasgow Comma Scale during admission. Out of all stroke
patients, the following complications were noticed; aspiration pneumonia (27.39%), septicemia (12.10%), dysphagia
(58.60%), urinary tract infection (24.20%), upper GI bleeding (5.73%), neurological disorders (32.48%), musculo-skeleton
pain (22.29%), CVS complications (8.92%), constipation (12.10%), and mortality (31.21%).
Conclusions: Our study concludes that most of the stroke patients had one or more of the stroke associated complications
and thus prophylactic use of antibiotics and treating patients in a well highly equipped Intensive Care Unit is
recommended to avoid complications and mortality.
Key words: Stroke, Complications, Pneumonia, Mortality, Diabetes, Septicemia, Neurological