Abstract 3120: Clinical Profile, In-hospital and Long-term Mortality Rates of Hispanic Puerto Ricans Hospitalized with Acute Stroke

Abstract

Background: Stroke mortality varies considerably according to race/ethnicity and place of residence. However, limited information is available about contemporary in-hospital death rates and one-year mortality in Hispanics hospitalized with acute stroke. We sought to examine the clinical characteristics, in-hospital, and one-year mortality death rates of Puerto Rican Hispanic patients hospitalized with an acute stroke. Design/Methods: Observational study using data from the Puerto Rico Stroke Registry. The study population consisted of patients hospitalized with an initial (first) acute stroke in 11 medical centers of Puerto Rico in 2007. In-hospital mortality was calculated as the percentage of patients hospitalized with an initial acute stroke who died during the index hospitalization, one-year all-cause mortality was determined through the review of death records in the Puerto Rico Department of Health Vital Statistics Records. Results: Of the 1528 consecutive patients hospitalized with an acute stroke, 1299 (85%) had an ischemic stroke. The mean age was 70 (+/- 28) years, and 53% were women. Patients hospitalized with an acute stroke had a considerable prevalence of comorbidities: 86% had hypertension, 52% had diabetes, 26% had hyperlipidemia, and 9% were current smokers. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 11% and the one-year all-cause mortality rate was 26%. In comparison with men, women were older (71 years vs. 68 years), more likely to be hypertensive (89% vs. 83%, p=0.001), had similar odds of dying during hospitalization (OR=1.1 [95%CI= 0.8-1.6]), and more likely to die one year after hospital discharge (OR=1.3 [95%CI= 1.1-1.5]). Discussion: Our findings indicate a high in-hospital and one year mortality rates after an initial acute stroke in Hispanic Puerto Ricans. Given the high, short and long-term, death rates associated with acute stroke, monitoring the clinical characteristics, death rates and factors associated with an increased risk of dying remains warranted.