Stroke mortality is extremely high in Central-Eastern European countries. The high
rate of risk factors and differences in health care services might be among the factors
resulting in high stroke morbidity and mortality in this region. As only few prospectively
collected information are available from this region, we decided to evaluate some
characteristics of stroke services in neurological departments of a Romanian, a Ukrainian
and a Hungarian city in the framework of the Mures-Uzhgorod-Debrecen comparative epidemiological
study. We registered demographic data, the absence or presence of the most important
risk factors, and clinical signs on admission and at discharge. We recorded the application
of various diagnostic methods, stroke treatment and recommendations for secondary
prevention. Follow-up is planned after 30 days and after 1 year. The paper summarizes
the methodology of this prospective epidemiological study of stroke patients hospitalized
in neurological departments in Targu Mures, Uzhgorod and Debrecen, three Central-Eastern
European cities in Romania, Ukraine and Hungary, respectively.
