Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients, according to arrival time
| Characteristic | Slow arrivers (n = 67) | Fast arrivers (n = 108) | P valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (sd), y | 61.0 (15.9) | 61.7 (15.6) | 0.7717 |
| Female sex, No. (%) | 32 (48) | 58 (54) | 0.5425 |
| Race, No. (%)b | |||
| White | 37 (55) | 78 (72) | 0.0309 |
| Black/African American | 28 (42) | 27 (25) | |
| Other | 2 (3) | 3 (3) | |
| Years of education, median [IQR] | 14 [12, 15] | 14 [12, 16] | 0.2136 |
| Median household income [IQR], $ thousand | 39.0 [32.3, 54.8] | 48.9 [35.0, 59.5] | 0.0518 |
| Insurance, No. (%) | 0.7039 | ||
| Private | 34 (51) | 59 (55) | |
| Medicare | 12 (18) | 12 (11) | |
| Medicaid | 2 (3) | 6 (6) | |
| Uninsured | 17 (25) | 27 (25) | |
| Veteran | 2 (3) | 4 (4) | |
| Married, No. (%) | 24 (36) | 52 (48) | 0.1492 |
| Living alone, No. (%) | 22 (33) | 27 (25) | 0.3426 |
| NIHSS score, mean (range)c | 3 (0–12) | 3 (0–13) | 0.4229 |
| Ischemic stroke severity, No. (%) | |||
| Mild (NIHSS < 6) | 61 (91) | 93 (86) | 0.4229 |
| Moderate (NIHSS 6-15) | 6 (9) | 15 (14) | |
| Severe (NIHSS > 15) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Side of stroke, No. (%)d | |||
| Left | 16 (36) | 23 (30) | 0.7267 |
| Right | 27 (61) | 50 (66) | |
| Both | 1 (2) | 3 (4) | |
| Area of stroke, No. (%) | |||
| Cortical | 11 (16) | 27 (25) | 0.4319 |
| Subcortical | 32 (48) | 45 (42) | |
| Both cortical and subcortical | 1 (1) | 4 (4) | |
| Brainstem or cerebellum | 23 (34) | 32 (30) | |
| Aphasia, No. (%) | 3 (4) | 3 (3) | 0.8624 |
| Arrived by EMS, No. (%) | 37 (55) | 74 (69) | 0.1066 |
| Charlson comorbidity index, median [IQR]e | 2 [1, 4] | 3 [1, 4] | 0.2502 |
| Short-blessed test score, median [IQR]f | 2 [0, 4] | 2 [0, 4] | 0.2010 |
| Patient health questionnaire-9, median [IQR]g | 3 [1, 6.5] | 2 [0, 5] | 0.1111 |
| Tissue plasminogen activator given, No. (%)h | 0 (0.0) | 54 (50) | <0.0001 |
a P value calculated from unpaired two-tailed t test or Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and χ2 test and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables
b Statistical test run on Black/African American race versus not Black/African American
c NIHSS is the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, a measure of stroke severity ranging from 0 (mild) to 42 (severe)
d Side of stroke determination did not include brainstem strokes
e Charlson Comorbidity Index is a weighted index to predict risk of death with specific comorbid conditions
f Short-blessed test score is an orientation-memory concentration test of cognitive impairment
g Patient health questionnaire-9 is a screening test for depression
h Tissue plasminogen activator is a medication to dissolve clots usually given within 4.5 h of stroke