The incidence of acute stroke emergency admissions in an Irish teaching hospital

Background: Approximately 2,500 people die from stroke each year yet there is a lack of Irish services provision. Aims: The aims of this study were to investigate the incidence of acute stroke emergency admissions in a large teaching hospital and present an analysis of this cohort. Methods: All patients presenting acutely to the Emergency Department in 2005 meeting the WHO definition of stroke were included in our study. A chart review of the identified patients was conducted to obtain the necessary information. Results: A total of 273 patients experienced an acute stroke, representing 1.6% of all acute admissions. 81.7% (223) of patients survived to discharge from the acute hospital. At 1 year, 65.2% (178) patients were still alive post-stroke. The mean length of stay in our acute hospital was 21.1 days following stroke. Conclusion: Stroke represents a considerable burden on health resources within the hospital.