Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of EMS-transferred patients with suspected acute stroke
| Characteristic | Total (n = 2,836) | Uncooperative (n = 486) | Cooperative (n = 2,350) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 64.8 ± 17.7 | 69.8 ± 17.5 | 63.7 ± 17.5 | < 0.001 |
| < 45 | 402 (14.2) | 48 (9.9) | 354 (15.1) | 0.003 |
| Female sex | 1,381 (48.7) | 250 (51.4) | 1,131 (48.1) | 0.184 |
| Chief complaint at EMS arrival | < 0.001 | |||
| Dizziness | 1,034 (36.5) | 9 (1.9) | 1,025 (43.6) | |
| Altered mental status | 725 (25.6) | 379 (78.0) | 346 (14.7) | |
| Seizure | 273 (9.6) | 50 (10.3) | 223 (9.5) | |
| Loss of consciousness | 173 (6.1) | 18 (3.7) | 155 (6.6) | |
| Weakness | ||||
| Upper extremity | 254 (9.0) | 8 (1.7) | 246 (10.5) | |
| Lower extremity | 60 (2.1) | 2 (0.4) | 58 (2.5) | |
| Headache | 107 (3.8) | 5 (1.0) | 102 (4.3) | |
| Dysarthria | 102 (3.6) | 6 (1.2) | 96 (4.1) | |
| Facial palsy | 60 (2.1) | 2 (0.4) | 58 (2.5) | |
| Other | 47 (1.7) | 7 (1.4) | 40 (1.7) | |
| First abnormal time | < 0.001 | |||
| Clear | 2,212 (78.0) | 302 (62.1) | 1,910 (81.3) | |
| Unclear | 624 (22.0) | 184 (37.9) | 440 (18.7) | |
| Activity at onset | < 0.001 | |||
| On duty | 85 (3.0) | 11 (2.3) | 74 (3.1) | |
| Sleeping | 446 (15.7) | 105 (21.6) | 341 (14.5) | |
| Daily activity | 2,100 (74.1) | 329 (67.7) | 1,771 (75.4) | |
| Other activity | 205 (7.2) | 41 (8.4) | 164 (7.0) | |
| Medical history | ||||
| Hypertension | 1,089 (38.4) | 174 (35.8) | 915 (38.9) | 0.196 |
| Diabetes | 591 (20.8) | 118 (24.3) | 473 (20.1) | 0.040 |
| Stroke | 407 (14.4) | 94 (19.3) | 313 (13.3) | 0.001 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 298 (10.5) | 40 (8.2) | 258 (11.0) | 0.072 |
| Malignancy | 200 (7.1) | 43 (8.9) | 157 (6.7) | 0.089 |
| Blood glucose test (yes) | 1,793 (63.2) | 382 (78.6) | 1,411 (60.0) | < 0.001 |
| CPSS (positive) | ||||
| Facial palsy | 296 (12.6) | NA | 296 (12.6) | NA |
| Arm weakness | 472 (20.1) | NA | 472 (20.1) | NA |
| Dysarthria | 417 (17.7) | NA | 417 (17.7) | NA |
| Level of the EMS crew | 0.964 | |||
| Nurse | 959 (33.8) | 163 (33.5) | 796 (33.8) | |
| EMT-intermediate | 1,833 (64.6) | 316 (65.0) | 1,517 (64.6) | |
| EMT-basic | 44 (1.6) | 7 (1.4) | 37 (1.6) | |
| ED disposition | < 0.001 | |||
| Discharge | 1,536 (54.2) | 116 (23.9) | 1,420 (60.4) | |
| Admission | 1,235 (43.5) | 342 (70.4) | 893 (38.0) | |
| Interhospital transfer | 50 (1.8) | 20 (4.1) | 30 (1.3) | |
| Death | 15 (0.5) | 8 (1.6) | 7 (0.3) | |
| Final diagnosis (stroke)a) | 570 (20.1) | 107 (22.0) | 463 (19.7) | 0.246 |
| Ischemic stroke | 402 (14.2) | 59 (12.1) | 343 (14.6) | 0.158 |
| Hemorrhagic stroke | 176 (6.2) | 51 (10.5) | 125 (5.3) | < 0.001 |
Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).
EMS, emergency medical services; CPSS, Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale; NA, not applicable; EMT, emergency medical technician; ED, emergency department.
a)
Eight patients were diagnosed with both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes concurrently.