Original scientific paper
An epidemiological perspective on stroke in rural croatia: insights from Ogulin
Ana Cuculić
Bojan Miletić
orcid.org/0000-0002-8787-9550
; Fakultet zdravstvenih studija, Sveučilište u Rijeci
*
Lejla Jelovica
orcid.org/0000-0002-2857-4095
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to determine the basic epidemiological characteristics of patients with stroke who were hospitalised at the General Hospital and the Hospital for Homeland War Veterans in Ogulin over a ten-year period.Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis ofdata from the hospital information system was conducted, encompassing all patients diagnosed with stroke at Ogulin General Hospital between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2023.Results: A total of 1521 patients were diagnosed witha stroke. Of these, 81.7% were diagnosed with an ischaemic stroke. No statistically significant difference was found in the frequency of strokes between men andwomen (p = 0.233). The highest proportion of patients,39.7%, was in the 70- to 80-year age group. Most strokeswere recorded in January (147), while the fewest occurred in April (107). A total of 13.7% of patients diagnosed with a stroke were transferred to another hospital facility.Discussion: The study highlights stroke as a significantproblem in the rural region of Ogulin, primarily due tolimited resources. Early interventions, improved infrastructure, and standardised protocols are needed to reduce mortality and disability.
Keywords
rural area; stroke; epidemiology
Hrčak ID:
343550
URI
Publication date:
21.1.2026.
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