Clinical correlates and drug treatment of residents with stroke in long-term care.

BACKGROUND AND
PURPOSE: Stroke incidence increases with age, and stroke survivors often require nursing home placement. Characteristics of these residents and factors associated with the secondary drug prevention of stroke in nursing homes have yet to be explored.
METHODS: We used a population-based data set of all nursing home residents in 5 states (1992 to 1995). We identified 53 829 (20.4%) with a diagnosis of stroke on the Minimum Data Set assessment. We considered aspirin, dipyridamole, ticlopidine, or warfarin alone or in combination as secondary drug prevention. We used logistic regression modeling to identify independent predictors of drug treatment.
RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of stroke survivors were not receiving drug therapy for stroke prevention. Among those treated, most received aspirin alone (16%) or warfarin alone (10%). Independent predictors of drug treatment included comorbid conditions (eg, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, depression, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and peptic ulcer disease). Those over the age of 85 years were less likely to be treated than those 65 to 74 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 0.91); black residents were less likely to be treated than whites (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.85); and those with severe cognitive (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.67) or physical impairment (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.75) were also less likely to receive drug treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Stroke is highly prevalent in long-term care. Despite the increased risk of subsequent stroke in the elderly, many are not being treated. The choice to treat or not to treat may be influenced by age, comorbidity, race/ethnicity, and cognitive or physical functioning.