Antiplatelet Use in Ischemic Stroke Inpatients: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Stroke is an acute neurological condition caused by interruption of blood flow to the brain, spinal cord, or retina, leading to disability or death. Ischemic stroke is the most common type and is closely related to thrombosis or embolism in cerebral vessels. Antiplatelet agents are central to secondary prevention because they inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, thereby reducing the risk of recurrent stroke. This study aimed to describe the pattern of antiplatelet use among ischemic stroke inpatients at Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang Regional General Hospital. This was an observational, single-centre, retrospective descriptive study using medical records of ischemic stroke inpatients who received at least one antiplatelet regimen and had complete data between January and December 2024. Patients with incomplete records, without antiplatelet therapy during hospitalization, or with uncertain diagnoses were excluded. Data were analysed descriptively. Of 190 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke, 124 met the eligibility criteria. Overall, 153 antiplatelet regimens were identified: 118 (77.1%) single-antiplatelet regimens and 35 (22.9%) dual-antiplatelet regimens. The most common single regimen was aspirin 160 mg once daily by mouth (70/118; 59.3%), followed by aspirin 160 mg once daily via nasogastric tube (24/118; 20.3%). The most frequent dual-antiplatelet regimen was aspirin 80 mg once daily by mouth plus clopidogrel 75 mg once daily by mouth (30/35; 85.7%). There were 17 regimen switches during hospitalization, most often from aspirin 160 mg once daily to aspirin 80 mg once daily (3/17; 17.6%), reflecting adjustment from the acute to the maintenance phase. In conclusion, single antiplatelet therapy, predominantly aspirin 160 mg once daily, was more commonly used than dual antiplatelet therapy among ischemic stroke inpatients in this hospital. These findings describe real-world prescribing patterns and may support evaluation of local protocols and future outcome-based studies.