Epidemiology and Functional Outcome of Acute Stroke Patients in Korea using Nationwide data

¹Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea
²Department of Neurosurgery, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Neurosurgery, Bundang CHA Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea
⁴Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul, Korea
⁵Department of Neurosurgery, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital, Busan, Korea
⁶Department of Neurosurgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
⁷Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), Wonju, Korea

Correspondence

Jae Sang Oh ,Email: metatron1324@hotmail.com

Received: July 14, 2024; Revised: August 30, 2024 Accepted: September 21, 2024. Published online: September 24, 2024.

ABSTRACT

Objective
: Korea's healthcare system and policy promotes early, actively stroke treatment to improve prognosis. This study represents stroke epidemiology and outcomes in Korea.
Methods
: This study investigated data from the Acute Stroke Assessment Registry. The registry collects data from over 220 hospitals nationwide, focusing on quality stroke service management. Data analysis included patient demographics, stroke severity assessment, and discharge prognosis measurement using standardized scales.
Results
: 86,568 acute stroke patients were collected with demographic and clinical characteristics during 18 months from 2016 to 2021, focusing on acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute intracerebral hemorrhage, and acute ischemic stroke. Of these 86,568 patients, 8.3% was subarachnoid hemorrhage, 16.3% intracerebral hemorrhage, and 74.9% ischemic stroke. Trends showed decreasing subarachnoid hemorrhage and increasing intracerebral hemorrhage cases over the years. 68.3% stroke patients had the clear onset time. 49.6 % stroke patients arrived within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, with more treated at general hospitals. Good functional outcomes at discharge was obtained with 58.3% of acute stroke patients, 55.9% of subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, 34.6% of intracerebral hemorrhage patients, and 63.8% of ischemic stroke patients.
Conclusion
: The results showed that ischemic stroke was the most common subtype, followed by intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Prognosis differed among subtypes, with favorable outcomes more common in ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to intracerebral hemorrhage.

Key Words: Stroke · Epidemiology · Outcomes · Korea