FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT OUTCOMES OF STROKE PATIENTS ADMITTED IN SELECTED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES OF KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

A stroke, often referred to as a cerebral vascular accident, is a focused neurological impairment with a fast start that is thought to have a vascular origin. It causes loss of consciousness and/or death because it alters the blood flow to the brain. Stroke is becoming more common, and stroke survivors are more at risk from long-term consequences. Health and social care systems are in danger of being overburdened by the weight of dependency brought on by this impairment, the possible loss of earning power, the need for more social assistance, and extended hospital stays. The purpose of the research was to evaluate factors related to the treatment results of stroke patients who were admitted to certain medical institutions in Kenya's Kakamega County. A cross-sectional research approach was used. Data was gathered between January 2021 and January 2022 after approval. From Kakamega County's level four and level five hospitals, 153 patients with full medical records and a confirmed stroke diagnosis were gathered. Fischer's formula was used to calculate the sample size. To find level four and level five hospitals, the research used a cluster sampling approach. Using a purposeful sampling strategy, stroke patients are chosen for admission. A self administered questionnaire was used to gather information on demographics, important medical histories, clinical presentations, stroke management, in-hospital incidents, and treatment results at a few chosen medical institutions in Kakamega County, Kenya. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 was used to input, clean, verify, and analyze data before it was placed into a computer database. It is anticipated that the data from this research will be used to create guidelines for clinical treatment of stroke in order to improve the quality of care given to stroke patients, improve their outcomes, and lessen the difficulties that come with the condition. This research contained 153 patient instances that were unreadable. The mean age of the patients was 57±13.7 years, and 111 (72.5%) of them were male. 112 (73.2%) of the 153 stroke patients had an ischemic stroke at presentation. The most often prescribed medications for ischemic stroke patients were aspirin and statins (78.6%), whereas enalapril was used to manage excessive blood pressure in around 43% of stroke patients. 36 (23.5%) of the 61 (40%) stroke patients who had poor treatment results passed away in the hospital. Poor treatment outcomes were strongly correlated with. Nearly half of the stroke patients had poor treatment results, and overall, stroke patient care was subpar. Patient outcomes may be improved by using thrombolytic treatment, developing suitable risk factor prevention strategies (such as lowering blood pressure), and reducing avoidable complications such aspiration pneumonia.