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. 2017 Nov 21;67(665):e871–e880. doi: 10.3399/bjgp17X693677

Table 2.

Clinical diagnoses in suspected TIA and stroke cases identified by first-contact health professionals: frequency and percentage of all suspected TIA clinic referrals

Clinical diagnosis Banerjee et al, 200911 Bradley et al, 201312 Cameron et al, 20119 Dutta et al, 201514 Fallon et al, 200616 Ferro et al, 199610 Fonseca and Canhão, 201126 Karunaratne et al, 199917 Lee and Frayne, 201519 Murray et al, 20073 Palomeras Soler et al, 201521
n % n % n % n % n % n % n % n % n % n % n %
Accidental fall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arrythmia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.6 0 0
Asymptomatic stenosis carotid artery 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.4 0 0
Brain tumour/brain metastases/CNS lymphoma 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 1.9 1 0.9 1 1.2 0 0 4 3.1 0 0 9 1.1 0 0
Carotid sinus hypersensitivity 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cataract related 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Central retinal vein occlusion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cervical myelopathy/spondylosis and spinal cord stenosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.3 0 0 14 1.7 0 0
Dehydration 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Delirium/confusional episode 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 4.6
Dementia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 1.4 0 0
Epilepsy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.2 0 0
Gastroenteritis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hypertension related 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 5.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hyperventilation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 1 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hypoglycaemia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hyponatremia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Isolated nerve palsy including Bell’s palsy 1 0.4 0 0 0 0 –a –a 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 4 3.1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Labyrinthitis/vestibular neuronitis 0 0 3 3.0 0 0 –a –a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lipoedema 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Medication side effects 0 0 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 0 0 1 0.2 0 0 2 2.4 1 0.1 13 3.2
Middle-ear disease 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 1.4 0 0
Migraine/tension headache 11 3.9 15 14.9 63 1.8 139 26.5 2 1.7 3 3.6 4 0.9 6 4.7 17 20.7 35 4.3 5 1.2
Motor neurone disease 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.4 0 0
Movement disorder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 0 0 1 0.2 0 0 0 0 3 0.4 0 0
Musculoskeletal 0 0 2 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Multiple sclerosis/demyelination 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.8 0 0 3 0.4 0 0
Myasthenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 –a –a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ocular event (amaurosis fugax/occluded retinal artery) 29 10.3 3 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.9 0 0
Overdose 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Peripheral nerve lesion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy 5 1.8 1 1.0 0 0 –a –a 1 0.9 0 0 2 0.4 1 0.8 0 0 17 2.1 6 1.5
Pneumonia and erysipelas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Previous stroke/previous neurological deficit 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.4 0 0 1 1.2 4 0.5 0 0
Psychological/psychiatric 4 1.4 3 3.0 56 1.6 –a –a 0 0 2 2.4 18 3.9 1 0.8 7 8.5 14 1.7 7 1.7
Radial nerve palsy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Secondary to traffic accident 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Seizure/convulsion 1 0.4 3 3.0 48 1.4 –a –a 3 2.6 3 3.6 19 4.1 12 9.4 0 0 16 2 11 2.7
Subdural haematoma 0 0 0 0 0 0 –a –a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.2 0 0 0 0
Syncope/pre-syncope/postural hypotension/ vasovagal attack 1 0.4 10 9.9 0 0 –a –a 12 10.3 8 9.6 22 4.8 5 3.9 13 15.9 44 5.4 23 5.6
Temporal arteritis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Transient global amnesia 0 0 0 0 35 1.0 17 3.2 3 2.6 3 3.6 6 1.3 3 2.3 0 0 8 1.0 0 0
Trigeminal neuralgia 0 0 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.1 0 0
Unspecified cardiac disorder 0 0 0 0 144 4.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unspecified metabolic disorder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.9 0 0 4 4.9 0 0 0 0
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1.6 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vertigo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 3 3.6 6 1.3 1 0.8 0 0 2 0.2 0 0
Diagnosis stated as ‘other’ 0 0 3 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 5.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
Diagnosis stated as ‘unknown’ 2 0.7 0 0 0 0 373 71 18 15.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4.9 179 22.1 0 0
Diagnosis stated as ‘unavailable’ 15 5.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total non-TIA 69 24.5 45 44.6 0 0 539 102.7 45 38.5 32 38.6 90 19.7 64 2.9 49 59.8 392 48.3 84 20.4
a

Authors identify as positive cases, but do not provide information on frequencies. CNS = central nervous system. TIA = transient ischaemic attack.