Clinico-epidemiological profile of cerebrovascular accident in eastern Nepal: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Abstract

cerebrovascular accident (CVA) has contributed to a significant increase in the morbidity and mortality rates in lower middle-income counties like Nepal. Despite being a common noncommunicable disease in Nepal, little attention has been paid to it, in terms of formulating national health plans and policies by the concerned authorities. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in patients diagnosed with cerebrovascular accidents at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Nepal. We analyzed 128 diagnosed cases of cerebrovascular accidents from February 26, 2023 to June 26, 2023 after taking ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference no. IRC-PA-283/2078–79). Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. The objective of this study was to explore the age and sex distribution of CVA, its association with medical co-morbidities, and known risk factors like Type-2-Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, thyroid disorders, smoking and alcohol. Together with calculating the distribution of ischemic CVA and hemorrhagic CVA we had also staged the disease based on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale.