Profile of and challenges experienced by stroke patients admitted to Ruhengeri Hospital in Rwanda
Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Stroke is the world's third highest cause of death and a major cause of disability.In order to define optimal management for stroke, reliable data are needed.Although Ruhengeri Hospital in Rwanda receives many stroke patients, no in-depth study has been carried out on stroke patients admitted at the hospital.This study, therefore, identified the profile of stroke patients admitted at Ruhengeri Hospital in Rwanda and explored the challenges that they experienced.A concurrent mixed model design was used to collect data.With a data gathering instrument which was developed by the researcher, a quantitative retrospective approach was used to review existing patients' records to collect information related to demographic characteristics, documented clinical features and risk factors for stroke, stroke onset-admission interval, length of hospital stay and the process of physiotherapy for stroke patients.In-depth face-toface interviews were also used to collect data regarding the challenges experienced by stroke patients.The sample for the quantitative phase consisted of medical records of stroke patients admitted at Ruhengeri Hospital from January 1 st , 2005 up to December 31 st , 2008.In the qualitative phase, a purposive sample of 10 participants was selected.The SPSS (16.0 version) and the Microsoft Excel Package 2007 were used to analyze the quantitative data.Descriptive statistics using frequencies, percentages, ranges, means, and standard deviations and inferential statistics using chi-square and correlation tests were calculated.For qualitative findings, audiotaped interviews were transcribed and translated from Kinyarwanda into English, and the expressed ideas were coded and reduced into themes and categories.iv Permission to conduct this study was obtained from the Senate Research Grants and Study Leave Committee at the University of the Western Cape, and the concerned authorities in Rwanda.Written informed consent was obtained from the interview participants.There were 204 stroke patients, but only 139 among them were included in the analysis of the quantitative findings.The mean age of the study population was 56.3 years, and 53.2% were females compared to 46.8% of males.The majority of the participants (62.6%) were cultivators before the stroke.The most prevalent documented clinical features were emotional, cognitive, vision and speech impairments, while the most reported risk factors for stroke were hypertension, smoking and diabetes.It was found that the mean stroke onset-admission interval was seven days, while the mean length of hospital stay was 8.2 days.Out of the 139 participants, only 55 (39.6%) received physiotherapy during their hospital stay.During the in-depth interviews, participants reported activity limitations including difficulties in walking, bathing, eating, going to toilet, dressing, cooking, washing and cleaning.The participants also experienced the participation restrictions which included inability to return to work, decreased social interactions and inability to participate in religious activities.The participants also expressed the environmental barriers which included lack of social support, inaccessible physiotherapy services, negative attitudes and inaccessible pathways and toilets.The current study findings suggest appropriate and specific programmes aiming preventing stroke and addressing the activity limitations, participation restrictions and environmental barriers experienced by patients with stroke.v
Author: Gerard Urimubenshi
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2749292350