Table 1.
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of patients treated on mobile stroke unit
| Patient Characteristics | All Patients (N=15) |
Confirmed Stroke (N=8) |
Stroke Mimic* (N=7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age (years at stroke symptom onset) | 74 (36–97) | 67 (36–86) | 74 (40–97) |
| Sex (female) | 9 (60) | 3 (37) | 6 (86) |
| Race | |||
| White | 12 (80) | 6 (75) | 6 (86) |
| Black | 2 (13) | 1 (12) | 1 (14) |
| Hispanic | 1 (7) | 1 (12) | 0 (0) |
| Pre-morbid characteristics | |||
| Modified Rankin Scale score | |||
| 0. No symptoms | 9 (60) | 6 (75) | 3 (43) |
| 1. No significant disability | 3 (20) | 2 (25) | 1 (14) |
| 2. Slight disability | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| 3. Moderate disability | 1 (7) | 0 (0) | 1 (14) |
| 4. Moderately severe disability | 2 (13) | 0 (0) | 2 (29) |
| 5. Severe disability | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Previous stroke | 4 (27) | 3 (37) | 1 (14) |
| Acute Clinical characteristics | |||
| MSU NIHSS score | 6 (1–22) | 11 (4–22) | 6 (1–7) |
| 0–4. Minor | 5 (33) | 2 (25) | 3 (43) |
| 5–15. Moderate | 8 (53) | 4 (50) | 4 (57) |
| 16–20. Moderate to severe | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| 21–42. Severe | 2 (13) | 2 (25) | 0 (0) |
| ED NIHSS score | 5 (0–29) | 7 (1–29) | 2 (0–11) |
| 0–4. Minor | 7 (47) | 2 (25) | 5 (71) |
| 5–15. Moderate | 5 (33) | 3 (37) | 2 (29) |
| 16–20. Moderate to severe | 1 (7) | 1 (12) | 0 (0) |
| 21–42. Severe | 2 (13) | 2 (25) | 0 (0) |
| Δ NIHSS score (MSU to ED) | -1 (−4 to +4) | +0.5 (−4 to+5) | -1 (−4 to +2) |
| Improved | 8 (53) | 3(37) | 5 (71) |
| Unchanged | 1 (7) | 1(12) | 0 (0) |
| Worsened | 6 (40) | 4 (50) | 2 (29) |
| Etiology | |||
| Confirmed Acute stroke | 8 (53) | 8 (100) | N/A |
| Ischemic | 6 (40) | 6 (40) | N/A |
| Hemorrhagic | 2 (13) | 2 (13) | N/A |
| Unconfirmed stroke or mimic | 7 (47) | N/A | 7 (100) |
| TIA or stroke aborted by tPA | 2 (13) | N/A | 2 (29) |
| Seizure | 2 (13) | N/A | 2 (29) |
| Pulmonary embolism | 1 (7) | N/A | 1 (14) |
| COPD exacerbation | 1 (7) | N/A | 1 (14) |
| EtOH withdrawal | 1 (7) | N/A | 1 (14) |
| Acute Treatment | |||
| Time from symptom onset to MSU stroke treatment (mins)† | 69 (35–835) | 58 (36–133) | 405 (35–835) |
| Thrombolysis – IV tPA‡ (on MSU) | 5 (40) | 4 (50) | 1 (14) |
| Thrombolysis – IV tPA‡ (ED) | 2 (7) | 2 (25) | 0 (0) |
| Mechanical thrombectomy | 2 (13) | 2 (25) | 0 (0) |
| Hospital course | |||
| Hospital LOS (days) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (4–6) | 4 (1–6) |
Data are N (%), median (range). ED, emergency department; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; MSU, mobile stroke unit; tPA, tissue plasminogen activator; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; EtOH, ethanol; LOS, length of stay.
*
Includes one patient with suspected TIA, and one patient with a possible ischemic stroke aborted by tPA.
†
Time of blood draw on MSU.
‡
Alteplase