Prospective analysis of stroke recognition, stroke risk factors, thrombolysis rates and outcomes in Indigenous Australians from a large rural referral hospital

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and disability in indigenous communities but limited prospective data exist about stroke. Aims: To estimate the difference in stroke recognition, risk factors, treatment rates and outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples admitted to the Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital (WWRRH) over a 5-year period with a suspected acute stroke. Methods: All suspected strokes presenting to the 33 peripheral hospitals within the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) were transferred to the WWRRH and prospectively assessed over a 5-year period from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2017. Actions at stroke onset, risks factors,..