Demographic, clinical and diagnostic data
A total of 265 consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of stroke were recruited. This included 115 males and 150 females with a slight preponderance of females with a female to male ratio of approximately 1.3:1.0. The mean ± SD age of study participants was 64.6 ± 14.54 years with a modal age range of 70 –79 years. Approximately 60% of patients presented within 24 hours after onset of stroke for management with the rest presenting within 2 — 14 days. 41% had right-sided weakness, 35% had left-sided weakness, 23% had bilateral weakness while 1% had no motor weakness. The frequencies of other symptoms accompanying focal motor neurological deficit in study subjects were loss of speech (56%), depressed level of consciousness (44%), headaches (26%), seizures (9%), vomiting (8%) and a few presented with dizziness, palpitations, fever, restlessness or neck pains.