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Admission of patients with diseases mimicking stroke in the acute stroke unit

Abstract:

The acute stroke units receive a great number of patients with other non-cerebrovascular conditions. A descriptive and prospective study of 275 patients consecutively admitted in the stroke unit of a hospital in Havana were studied to determine the frequency of cases with non-cerebrovascular diseases admitted in this unit. It was observed an incidence of 32 cases (12 %). The most frequent diagnoses were: syncope, acute confusional state, brain metastasis and epilepsy, with 4 patients in each group. Other conditions found were: herpes encephalitis (3 cases), hypertensive emergencies (3 cases), primary tumor (3 cases), peripheral vertigo (2 cases), conversive neurosis (2 cases), ataxia due to drugs (2 cases) and a patient with Mill Fisher's syndrome. The frequency of risk factors was greater in vascular diseases, as well as the figures of systolic arterial tension on admission, mortality and stay length. It was concluded that the admission of patients with non-cerebrovascular diseases in the stroke unit is a common fact, and that the doctors working in it should take it into account. © 2008 1999, Editorial Ciencias Médicas.