Table 2.
Medical history, clinical characteristics, and presenting symptoms of patients with acute ischemic stroke stratified by telestroke and rtPA status. Continuous variables are represented as Mean ± S.D., and a Student’s t-test is used to compare between groups. Count (Percent Frequency) is used to represent discrete variables, and Pearson’s Chi-Squared is used to make comparisons between groups
| Non-Telestroke | Telestroke | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No rtPA (N = 175) | rtPA (N = 110) | P-Value | No rtPA (N = 20) | rtPA (N = 167) | P-Value | |
| Characteristic | ||||||
| Patient Age in Years | ||||||
| Mean ± SD | 71.8 ± 12.6 | 68.5 ± 13.2 | 0.035* | 67.1 ± 12 | 66.7 ± 13 | 0.905 |
| Age Group: No. (%) | ||||||
| < 50 years | 14 (8) | 7 (6.4) | 0.003* | 1 (0.6) | 23 (13.8) | 0.715 |
| 50–59 | 17 (9.7) | 20 (18.2) | 4 (2.4) | 20 (12) | ||
| 60–69 | 30 (17.1) | 35 (31.8) | 7 (4.2) | 52 (31.1) | ||
| 70–79 | 62 (35.4) | 23 (20.9) | 5 (3) | 43 (25.7) | ||
| ≥ 80 | 52 (29.7) | 25 (22.7) | 3 (1.8) | 29 (17.4) | ||
| Gender: No. (%) | ||||||
| Male | 79 (45.1) | 59 (53.6) | 0.162 | 13 (7.8) | 88 (52.7) | 0.297 |
| Female | 96 (54.9) | 51 (46.4) | 7 (4.2) | 79 (47.3) | ||
| Race: No. (%) | ||||||
| Caucasian | 140 (80) | 92 (83.6) | 0.667 | 16 (9.6) | 132 (79) | 0.328 |
| African-American | 19 (10.9) | 10 (9.1) | 2 (1.2) | 29 (17.4) | ||
| Other | 2 (1.1) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.2) | ||
| Hispanic Ethnicity: No. (%) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.8) | 0.315 | 0 (0) | 6 (3.6) | 0.389 |
| Body Mass Index | ||||||
| Mean ± SD | 27.9 ± 6.2 | 28.7 ± 7.2 | 0.369 | 32.4 ± 8.3 | 31.1 ± 7.9 | 0.498 |
| Medical History: No. (%) | ||||||
| Atrial Fib/Flutter | 53 (30.3) | 23 (20.9) | 0.081 | 2 (1.2) | 17 (10.2) | 0.98 |
| Carotid Artery Stenosis | 19 (10.9) | 6 (5.5) | 0.117 | 0 (0) | 14 (8.4) | 0.178 |
| Congestive Heart Failure | 29 (16.6) | 9 (8.2) | 0.043 | 2 (1.2) | 19 (11.4) | 0.854 |
| Coronary Artery Disease | 77 (44) | 50 (45.5) | 0.81 | 9 (5.4) | 74 (44.3) | 0.953 |
| Depression | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0) | 0.427 | 4 (2.4) | 32 (19.2) | 0.928 |
| Diabetes | 76 (43.4) | 48 (43.6) | 0.973 | 13 (7.8) | 79 (47.3) | 0.135 |
| Family History of Stroke | 15 (8.6) | 11 (10) | 0.683 | 0 (0) | 23 (13.8) | 0.076 |
| Hormone Replacement Therapy | 2 (1.1) | 1 (0.9) | 0.851 | 0 (0) | 5 (3) | 0.433 |
| Hypertension | 160 (91.4) | 99 (90) | 0.683 | 16 (9.6) | 152 (91) | 0.123 |
| Migraine | 1 (0.6) | 4 (3.6) | 0.055 | 1 (0.6) | 6 (3.6) | 0.754 |
| Obesity | 64 (36.6) | 40 (36.4) | 0.972 | 11 (6.6) | 100 (59.9) | 0.675 |
| Peripheral Vascular Disease | 16 (9.1) | 13 (11.8) | 0.467 | 0 (0) | 19 (11.4) | 0.112 |
| Previous Stroke | 72 (41.1) | 31 (28.2) | 0.027* | 3 (1.8) | 47 (28.1) | 0.209 |
| Previous TIA | 28 (16) | 23 (20.9) | 0.293 | 4 (2.4) | 22 (13.2) | 0.404 |
| Prosthetic Heart Valve | 6 (3.4) | 0 (0) | 0.05 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | N/A |
| Renal Insufficiency | 17 (9.7) | 3 (2.7) | 0.025* | 1 (0.6) | 13 (7.8) | 0.655 |
| Sleep Apnea | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | N/A | 1 (0.6) | 10 (6) | 0.859 |
| Smoking | 40 (22.9) | 35 (31.8) | 0.094 | 4 (2.4) | 36 (21.6) | 0.873 |
| Substance Abuse | 0.877 | 0 (0) | 2 (1.2) | 0.623 | ||
| Initial NIH Stroke Scale | ||||||
| Mean ± SD | 9.8 ± 9.4 | 11.1 ± 7.8 | 0.247 | 6.6 ± 5.6 | 9 ± 7.9 | 0.255 |
| Initial Labs & Vitals | ||||||
| Total Cholesterol | 163.6 ± 51.5 | 158.8 ± 44.1 | 0.441 | 152.1 ± 34.9 | 160.8 ± 40.8 | 0.386 |
| Triglycerides | 132.3 ± 82.2 | 139.9 ± 90.5 | 0.492 | 127.1 ± 59.4 | 144.4 ± 89.8 | 0.426 |
| HDL | 40.7 ± 15.1 | 38.9 ± 10.5 | 0.254 | 39.1 ± 8.8 | 39.2 ± 12.1 | 0.982 |
| LDL | 96.5 ± 36.9 | 93.7 ± 37.7 | 0.55 | 89.8 ± 28.2 | 96.7 ± 34.1 | 0.407 |
| Lipids | 6.7 ± 2 | 6.4 ± 1.6 | 0.29 | 6.9 ± 1.9 | 6.4 ± 1.6 | 0.196 |
| Blood Glucose | 162.1 ± 101.5 | 136.8 ± 60.4 | 0.009* | 155.6 ± 73.3 | 132.7 ± 63.8 | 0.138 |
| Creatinine | 1.4 ± 1.1 | 1.2 ± 0.6 | 0.009* | 1.2 ± 1 | 1.1 ± 0.5 | 0.674 |
| INR | 1.2 ± 0.7 | 1.1 ± 0.1 | 0.004* | 1.1 ± 0.4 | 1 ± 0.1 | 0.55 |
| Heart Rate | 82.8 ± 19.2 | 79 ± 15.9 | 0.08 | 71.9 ± 12.3 | 77.5 ± 15.3 | 0.115 |
| Systolic Blood Pressure | 148.7 ± 30.6 | 154.9 ± 28.6 | 0.092 | 149.7 ± 20.7 | 146.1 ± 24 | 0.518 |
| Diastolic Blood Pressure | 78.8 ± 19.1 | 84.4 ± 17.9 | 0.014* | 76.4 ± 11.3 | 79.8 ± 16.4 | 0.376 |
| Medications Prior to Admission: No. (%) | ||||||
| Antiplatelet or Anticoagulant | 119 (68) | 76 (69.1) | 0.847 | 13 (7.8) | 109 (65.3) | 0.981 |
| Antihypertensive | 144 (82.3) | 93 (84.5) | 0.62 | 15 (9) | 137 (82) | 0.446 |
| Cholesterol Reducer | 129 (73.7) | 82 (74.5) | 0.876 | 19 (11.4) | 123 (73.7) | 0.035* |
| Diabetic Medication | 56 (32) | 35 (31.8) | 0.974 | 8 (4.8) | 62 (37.1) | 0.802 |
| Ambulation Status Prior to Event: No. (%) | ||||||
| Ambulate Independently | 142 (81.1) | 105 (95.5) | 0.007* | 18 (10.8) | 158 (94.6) | 0.394 |
| Ambulate With Assistance | 13 (7.4) | 2 (1.8) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.2) | ||
| Unable to Ambulate | 11 (6.3) | 2 (1.8) | 0 (0) | 4 (2.4) | ||
| Not Documented | 9 (5.1) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (0.6) | 3 (1.8) | ||
| Ambulation Status on Admission: No. (%) | ||||||
| Ambulate Independently | 31 (17.7) | 10 (9.1) | 0.006* | 9 (5.4) | 32 (19.2) | 0.045* |
| Ambulate With Assistance | 37 (21.1) | 11 (10) | 3 (1.8) | 40 (24) | ||
| Unable to Ambulate | 52 (29.7) | 42 (38.2) | 5 (3) | 39 (23.4) | ||
| Not Documented | 55 (31.4) | 47 (42.7) | 3 (1.8) | 56 (33.5) | ||
| Ambulation Status on Discharge: No. (%) | ||||||
| Ambulate Independently | 70 (40) | 50 (45.5) | 0.748 | 13 (7.8) | 94 (56.3) | 0.533 |
| Ambulate With Assistance | 54 (30.9) | 32 (29.1) | 3 (1.8) | 45 (26.9) | ||
| Unable to Ambulate | 35 (20) | 21 (19.1) | 2 (1.2) | 20 (12) | ||
| Not Documented | 16 (9.1) | 7 (6.4) | 2 (1.2) | 8 (4.8) | ||
| First Care Received: No. (%) | ||||||
| Emergency Department | 160 (91.4) | 99 (90) | 0.683 | 9 (5.4) | 39 (23.4) | 0.036* |
| Direct Admission | 15 (8.6) | 11 (10) | 11 (6.6) | 128 (76.6) | ||
| Improved Ambulation | 102 (58.3) | 78 (70.9) | 0.031* | 15 (9) | 121 (72.5) | 0.809 |