Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of the Patients.*
| Characteristic | Endovascular Treatment (N = 181) | Intravenous t-PA (N = 181) |
|---|---|---|
| Age — yr | 66±11 | 67±11 |
| Male sex — no. (%) | 106 (59) | 103 (57) |
| Weight — kg | 75±14 | 75±13 |
| Blood pressure — mm Hg | ||
| Systolic | 155±26 | 150±23 |
| Diastolic | 84±12 | 83±12 |
| NIHSS score† | ||
| Median (interquartile range) | 13 (9–17) | 13 (9–18) |
| Range | 2–26 | 3–24 |
| Atrial fibrillation — no. (%) | 14 (8)‡ | 29 (16)‡ |
| Antihypertensive therapy — no. (%) | 102 (56) | 105 (58) |
| Antidiabetic therapy — no. (%) | 20 (11) | 19 (10) |
| Antiplatelet therapy — no. (%) | 73 (40) | 59 (33) |
| Stroke cause on day 7 — no. (%) | ||
| Cardiogenic embolism | 58 (32) | 62 (34) |
| Dissection | 14 (8)§ | 4 (2)§ |
| Large-artery atherosclerosis | 55 (30) | 50 (28) |
| Small-vessel disease | 13 (7) | 12 (7) |
| Other or unknown | 39 (22) | 53 (29) |
| Condition mimicking stroke | 2 (1)¶ | 0 |
| Stroke territory on day 7 — no. (%) | ||
| Anterior circulation | 160 (88) | 170 (94) |
| Posterior circulation | 18 (10) | 11 (6) |
| Anterior and posterior circulation | 1 (1) | 0 |
| Time from stroke onset to randomization — hr:min | ||
| Median (interquartile range) | 2:28 (2:04–3:10) | 2:25 (1:59–2:59) |
| Range | 0:45–4:30 | 0:30–4:17 |
| Time from stroke onset to start of treatment — hr:min|| | ||
| Median (interquartile range) | 3:45 (3:14–4:20)** | 2:45 (2:20–3:20)** |
| Range | 1:30–5:55 | 0:55–4:30 |
Plus–minus values are means ±SD. There were no significant differences between groups unless otherwise indicated. The abbreviation t-PA denotes tissue plasminogen activator.
Scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating more severe neurologic impairment.
P = 0.02.
P = 0.03. The higher frequency of dissections in the endovascular-treatment group was probably due to the use of angiography as a diagnostic supplement.
Conditions mimicking stroke were seizure in one patient and somatoform disorder in one patient.
The time from stroke onset to the start of treatment in the endovascular-treatment group was calculated to the beginning of intraarterial pharmacologic or mechanical thrombolysis. Patients who did not receive the assigned treatment (endovascular treatment or intravenous t-PA) were not included.
P<0.001.