Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke admissions at a Referral Stroke Center in Indonesia: A descriptive study

Background. Multiple countries affected by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have noticed a drop in the number of patients attending the emergency department with acute stroke. This study aimed to assess the numbers of acute stroke admission during the COVID-19 pandemic in a major hospital in Yogyakarta. Methods. This is a retrospective study design of stroke admissions, data on the numbers of hospital admissions and mortality from the same period (March to December) in 2019 and 2020 were collected. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results. We collected data from a total of 1928 patients admitted with acute stroke. From March to December, the mean rate of admission was 114.9 cases per month in 2019 (Pre-COVID era), which dropped to 77.9 cases per month in 2020 (COVID era), with an overall reduction of 32.2%. There was a decrease in the numbers of ischemic (-36%) and hemorrhagic (-18%) stroke admissions during the state of the COVID-19 era compared with 2019. Furthermore, we also observed a reduction in the mortality rate of ischemic (-43%) and hemorrhagic (-1%) stroke patients. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the care for stroke patients, resulting fell in acute stroke admissions and mortality rate.