Objectives: Stroke is a significant public health problem and one of the important preventable non-communicable diseases. Preventive stroke programs are yet to be properly established in Oman, with a better focus on increasing awareness among those who are currently at risk. This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of stroke presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Oman. Methods: This was a cross-sectional hospital-based study. Included 193 stroke cases which were prospectively recruited from the Emergency Department of a tertiary-level hospital. Data was collected from November 2017 to April 2018. Results: The total number of patients was 193. 82.9% of strokes were ischemic strokes. 58% were male. The mean age of stroke patients was 61.05 years. Risk factors included hypertension (72.5%) and diabetes mellitus (54.4%). Dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation and ischemic heart diseases were not particularly prevalent in our population. 24.4% of ischemic strokes had large artery atherosclerosis and 21.9% had small vessel occlusion. Significantly more patients had lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), required ICU admission and had in-hospital deaths in hemorrhagic stroke compared to ischemic stroke. Conclusions: This study provides essential stroke characteristics data specific to Oman’s population. Most of the information obtained conforms with that described internationally and similar preventive strategies can be implemented. The information can be utilized by health administrators in planning resource allocation. Further research is needed to explore rehabilitation aspects and long-term outcomes.

Objectives: Stroke is a significant public health problem and one of the important preventable non-communicable diseases. Preventive stroke programs are yet to be properly established in Oman, with a better focus on increasing awareness among those who are currently at risk. This study was conducted...