Factors Delaying Admission to a Hospital-based Stroke Unit in India

Limited information is available from India and other developing countries regarding the various factors that contribute to a delay in hospital admission after stroke. The stroke unit of the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, in Northwest India prospectively studied the various factors contributing to delay in hospital admission during a 15-month period ending September 2003. Patients or their relatives were interviewed within 48 hours of admission using a structured questionnaire. Of the 147 patients interviewed, 99 (67%) were men and the mean age was 59.7 ± 14.1 years. A total of 43 (29%) patients presented within 3 hours of stroke onset. Only 12% of patients came by ambulance. Directly reaching the stroke department ( P P P