clove and Stroke

Like other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar has a high burden of stroke. The Malagasy population is unique in sharing both African and Asian ancestry. The proportion of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke types is unknown for this population.. Our aim was to establish the proportion of stroke types and known risk factors for the Malagasy population.. We conducted a single-center, tertiary-level hospital-based case series. We included all patients with a CT-imaging confirmed stroke who presented at the emergency ward of the study hospital between January 1, 2017, and November 20, 2018.. Of 223 patients with CT-confirmed stroke, 57.4% (128/223, 95% CI: 51-64%) had an ischemic stroke and 42.6% (95/223, 95% CI: 36-49%) had an intracranial hemorrhage. The majority (89.5%; 85/95, 95% CI: 83-96%) of intracranial hemorrhages were intracerebral; 4.2% (4/95, 95% CI: 0-8%) had a subdural hematoma, 5.3% (5/95, 95% CI: 1-10%) had a subarachnoid hemorrhage, there was one isolated intraventricular hemorrhage (1.1%; 1/95, 95% CI: -1-3%). The prevalence of hypertension among stroke patients was high (86.6%; 187/216, 95% CI: 82-91%).. Our study is the first to report the proportion of stroke types and known risk factors in Madagascar. We find that the proportion of hemorrhagic strokes was unexpectedly higher than that reported from other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings highlight the need for a country-specific approach to stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation and provide guidance on public health resource allocation in Madagascar.

Topics: Cerebral Hemorrhage; Humans; Intracranial Hemorrhages; Madagascar; Risk Factors; Stroke; Tertiary Care Centers

Stroke is reported as the most frequent cause of in-hospital death in Madagascar. However, no descriptive data on hospitalized stroke patients in the country have been published. In the present study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of collecting data on stroke patients in a resource-constrained hospital in Madagascar. We also aimed to characterize patients hospitalized with stroke.. We registered socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, and early outcomes of patients admitted for stroke between 23 September 2014 and 3 December 2014. We used several validated scales for the evaluation. Stroke severity was measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), disability by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and function by the Barthel Index (BI).. We studied 30 patients. Sixteen were males. The median age was 62.5 years (IQR 58-67). The NIHSS and mRS were completed for all of the patients, and BI was used for the survivors. Three patients received a computed tomography (CT) brain scan. The access to laboratory investigations was limited. Electrocardiographs (ECGs) were not performed. The median NIHSS score was 16.5 (IQR 10-35). The in-hospital stroke mortality was 30%. At discharge, the median mRS score was 5 (IQR 4-6), and the median BI score was 45 (IQR 0-72.5).. Although the access to brain imaging and supporting investigations was deficient, this small-scale study suggests that it is feasible to collect essential data on stroke patients in a resource-constrained hospital in Madagascar. Such data should be useful for improving stroke services and planning further research. The hospitalized stroke patients had severe symptoms. The in-hospital stroke mortality was high. At discharge, the disability category was high, and functional status low.

Topics: Aged; Female; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalization; Humans; Madagascar; Male; Middle Aged; Stroke

Strokes of the perforating arteries are mainly arteriolopathies. They result in dementia and stroke recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of these strokes to better prevent these complications.. We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study in the department of neurology at the Befelatanana general hospital, Antananarivo over the period 01 March-25 September 2015. All patients with abrupt neurological deficit and deep brain involvement on brain scanner were included in the study. The features of strokes involving the perforating arteries were collected. Data were processed with SPSS 20 software.. Out of 172 patients with a stroke, 83(48.25%) had stroke involving the perforating arteries. Stroke involving the perforating arteries affected young people (65.06%) aged less than 65 years and preferentially the male population (61.44%). Haemorrhagic forms accounted for 67.46%. Thirty-one patients (37.34%) had stroke recurrences and, among them, almost a quarter had 2 recurrences (38.70%) in less than a year. All patients with recurrence had dysexecutive disorder (p < 0.0001) and poor antihypertensive medication adherence. Mortality accounted for only 6.02% in patients with onset of these strokes during hospitalization.. Specific neurologic follow-up is necessary after a first stroke involving perforating arteries in order to make an early diagnosis of dementia and to prevent recurrences.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents; Cerebral Arteries; Dementia; Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals, General; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Madagascar; Male; Medication Adherence; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Stroke

A stroke is the sudden onset of focal neurological deficits presumed to have mecanism vascular and is the leading cause of acquired motor disability in adults. To improve stroke management, we examined the motor disability of patients presenting with stroke, their course, and its determinant factors. This retrospective descriptive study reviewed case records from the neurology unit of the Befelatanana University Hospital from january to december 2015. We included all patients who had a stroke with motor impairment of any upper or lower limbs, with or without computed tomography of the brain, that is, 227 (36.50 %) of the 622 patients admitted to the neurology unit. The mean age of onset was 55.41 years with a sex-ratio 1.16. Predominantly, we found perforating artery strokes (51.54 %), ischemic strokes (36.12 %), and right limb location deficits (50.22 %). Stroke patients were managed with physical therapy from the beginning of the acute stage, that is, from the admission (77.53 %). Two third of the motor deficits were steady (67.84 %), with a median NIHSS=8 and MRS=4 at hospital discharge. The mortality rate was 8.37 % (6.60 % during the first week and 1.77 % after that). We found no significant determinant factors. Hospital mortality decreased during the study. The lack of overcoming of motor disability was due to the short follow-up period, which included only the acute stage. These findings point out the utility of a neurovascular unit (UNV) for reducing disabilities and developing a network for stroke management during the acute stage in Madagascar.

Topics: Female; Hospitals, University; Humans; Madagascar; Male; Middle Aged; Movement Disorders; Physical Therapy Modalities; Retrospective Studies; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation