THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLOOD PRESSURE AND STROKE TYPE AMONG STROKE PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF RSI SAKINAH MOJOKERTO

Abstract

Stroke is a neurological emergency caused by disrupted blood flow to the brain, potentially leading to brain tissue damage. Blood pressure plays a crucial role in the occurrence of both hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes; consequently, measuring blood pressure upon a patient's arrival at the Emergency Department (ED) is a vital component of the initial assessment. This study aimed to determine the relationship between blood pressure and stroke type among stroke patients. A correlational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted, involving 100 respondents selected via consecutive sampling from medical records based on inclusion criteria. Data were collected from patient medical records and analyzed using Chi-Square and Cramer’s V tests at a significance level of α = 0.05. The results showed that the majority of respondents had hypertension (76.0%), and the most common stroke type was hemorrhagic stroke (52.0%). The Chi-Square test yielded a p-value of 0.012; since this value is less than α = 0.05 (0.012 < 0.05), it indicates a significant relationship between blood pressure and stroke type. The proportion of hemorrhagic strokes tended to increase with higher blood pressure categories, whereas ischemic strokes were observed across various blood pressure categories. The Cramer’s V value of 0.330 indicated a moderate strength of association. Blood pressure is a critical indicator in the initial assessment of stroke patients. Rapid and accurate blood pressure measurement assists nurses in determining appropriate initial management based on clinical condition. These findings are expected to improve the accuracy of stroke patient management in the ED.