Characteristics, clinical practice patterns, and outcomes of strokes in India: INSPIRE-A multicentre prospective study.

Background: India has a high burden of stroke, but there are limited data available on the characteristics of patients presenting with stroke in India.

Aims: We aimed to document the clinical characteristics, practice patterns, and outcomes of patients presenting with acute stroke to Indian hospitals.

Methods: A prospective registry study of patients admitted with acute clinical stroke was conducted in 62 centers across different regions in India between 2009 and 2013.

Results: Of the 10,329 patients included in the prescribed registry, 71.4% had ischemic stroke, 25.2% had intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 3.4% had an undetermined stroke subtype. Mean age was 60 years (SD = 14) with 19.9% younger than 50 years; 65% were male. A severe stroke at admission (modified-Rankin score 4-5) was seen in 62%, with 38.4% of patients having severe disability at discharge or dying during hospitalization. Cumulative mortality was 25% at 6 months. Neuroimaging was completed in 98%, 76% received physiotherapy, 17% speech and language therapy (SLT), 7.6% occupational therapy (OT), with variability among sites; 3.7% of ischemic stroke patients received thrombolysis. Receipt of physiotherapy (odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33-0.52) and SLT (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.32-0.65) was associated with lower mortality, while a history of atrial fibrillation (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.37-3.58) and ICH (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.66-2.40) were associated with higher mortality.

Conclusion: In the INSPIRE (In Hospital Prospective Stroke Registry) study, one-in-five patients with acute stroke was under 50 years of age, and one-quarter of stroke was ICH. There was a low provision of thrombolysis and poor access to multidisciplinary rehabilitation highlighting how improvements are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality from stroke in India.