Table 1.
Univariate analysis comparing TIA Mimics, DWI-neg TIA, and DWI-pos TIA groups.
| $TIA mimics group N = 97 (37.5%) | DWI-neg TIA group N = 131 (50.6%) | DWI-pos TIA group N = 31 (12.0%) | Total (N = 259) | P-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic information | |||||
| Gender (% of males) | 63 (64.9%) | 73 (55.7%) | 11 (35.5%) | 147 (56.8%) | 0.015* |
| Age, mean ± SD | 64.6 ± 17.0 | 73.7 ± 13.1 | 74.8 ± 11.0 | 70.5 ± 15.0 | 0.000* |
| Race | |||||
| White | 94 (96.9%) | 128 (97.7%) | 30 (96.8%) | 252 (97.3%) | 0.934 |
| African-American | 2 (2.1%) | 3 (2.3%) | 1 (3.2%) | 6 (2.3%) | |
| Patient declined to provide | 1 (1.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.4%) | |
| Past medical history | |||||
| Diabetes mellitus | 26 (26.8%) | 45 (34.4%) | 9 (29.0%) | 80 | 0.462 |
| Hypertension | 60 (61.9%) | 113 (86.3%) | 26 (83.9%) | 199 | 0.000* |
| Atrial fibrillation, PAF†, flutter | 9 (9.3%) | 26 (19.8%) | 8 (25.8%) | 43 | 0.036* |
| Hyperlipidemia | 66 (68.0%) | 117 (89.3%) | 27 (87.1%) | 210 | 0.000* |
| Previous history of stroke | 19 (19.6%) | 35 (26.7%) | 9 (29.0%) | 63 | 0.375 |
| Previous history of TIA | 27 (27.8%) | 35 (26.7%) | 6 (19.4%) | 68 | 0.637 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 6 (6.2%) | 20 (15.3%) | 5 (16.1%) | 31 | 0.085 |
| Coronary artery disease (CAD) | 29 (29.9%) | 61 (46.6%) | 14 (45.2%) | 104 | 0.033* |
| Patent foramen ovale | 7 (21.2%) | 14 (22.2%) | 2 (14.3%) | 23 | 0.803 |
| Intracranial arterial disease | 16 (25.0%) | 44 (48.9%) | 13 (50.0%) | 73 | 0.007* |
| COPD‡ | 14 (14.4%) | 28 (21.4%) | 5 (16.1%) | 47 | 0.386 |
| Carotid disease | |||||
| <50% Stenosis | 43 (44.3%) | 66 (50.4%) | 14 (45.2%) | 123 | 0.011* |
| 50–70% Stenosis | 6 (6.2%) | 17 (13.0%) | 5 (16.1%) | 28 | |
| >70% Stenosis | 0 (0.0%) | 7 (5.3%) | 3 (9.7%) | 10 | |
| Tobacco use | 22 (22.7%) | 31 (23.7%) | 3 (9.7%) | 56 | 0.224 |
| Alcohol use | 25 (25.8%) | 43 (32.8%) | 8 (25.8%) | 76 | 0.461 |
| Seizure disorder | 10 (10.3%) | 1 (0.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 11 | 0.001* |
| Migraine | 20 (20.6%) | 10 (7.6%) | 2 (6.5%) | 32 | 0.007* |
| Autoimmune disease | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (3.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 | 0.083 |
| Coagulation disorders | 5 (5.2%) | 7 (5.3%) | 1 (3.2%) | 13 | 0.886 |
| History of cancer | 17 (17.5%) | 31 (23.7%) | 9 (29.0%) | 57 | 0.327 |
| Kidney disease | 19 (19.6%) | 32 (24.4%) | 8 (25.8%) | 59 | 0.630 |
| Currently on dialysis | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 | 0.612 |
| Psychiatric illness | 48 (49.5%) | 44 (33.6%) | 7 (22.6%) | 99 | 0.008* |
| Antiplatelet use (pre-hospitalization) | 49 (50.5%) | 86 (65.6%) | 21 (67.7%) | 156 | 0.046* |
| Oral anticoagulant (pre- hospitalization) | 7 (7.2%) | 16 (12.2%) | 3 (9.7%) | 26 | 0.462 |
| Emergency department presentation symptoms | |||||
| Altered mental status | 16 (16.5%) | 29 (22.1%) | 5 (16.1%) | 50 | 0.505 |
| Headache | 25 (25.8%) | 23 (17.6%) | 7 (22.6%) | 55 | 0.319 |
| Loss of consciousness | 3 (3.1%) | 1 (0.8%) | 1 (3.2%) | 5 | 0.385 |
| Generalized weakness | 11 (11.3%) | 13 (9.9%) | 6 (19.4%) | 30 | 0.335 |
| Unilateral arm weakness | 26 (26.8%) | 32 (24.4%) | 12 (38.7%) | 70 | 0.273 |
| Unilateral leg weakness | 23 (23.7%) | 26 (19.8%) | 9 (29.0%) | 58 | 0.504 |
| Expressive aphasia | 15 (15.5%) | 28 (21.4%) | 8 (25.8%) | 51 | 0.356 |
| Dysarthria | 23 (23.7%) | 51 (38.9%) | 11 (35.5%) | 85 | 0.051 |
| Facial droop | 14 (14.4%) | 29 (22.1%) | 7 (22.6%) | 50 | 0.306 |
| Unilateral arm numbness | 43 (44.3%) | 40 (30.5%) | 9 (29.0%) | 92 | 0.071 |
| Unilateral leg numbness | 23 (23.7%) | 23 (17.6%) | 7 (22.6%) | 53 | 0.498 |
| Facial numbness | 26 (26.8%) | 42 (32.1%) | 3 (9.7%) | 71 | 0.042* |
| Sudden true vertigo | 9 (9.3%) | 2 (1.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 11 | 0.007* |
| Diplopia | 1 (1.0%) | 4 (3.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 | 0.387 |
| Hemianopsia | 19 (19.6%) | 12 (9.2%) | 3 (9.7%) | 34 | 0.058 |
| Mono-ocular blindness | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (1.5%) | 1 (3.2%) | 3 | 0.294 |
| Ataxia | 13 (13.4%) | 17 (13.0%) | 5 (16.1%) | 35 | 0.898 |
| Seizure like activity | 3 (3.1%) | 1 (0.8%) | 1 (3.2%) | 5 | 0.385 |
| Pre-syncope | 13 (13.4%) | 21 (16.0%) | 6 (19.4%) | 40 | 0.702 |
| Visual Aura | 4 (4.1%) | 3 (2.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 7 | 0.429 |
| Amnesia | 6 (6.2%) | 9 (6.9%) | 3 (9.7%) | 18 | 0.800 |
| Length of hospitalization (days), mean ± SD | 1.9 ± 1.8 | 2.0 ± 1.5 | 4.0 ± 2.3 | 2.2 ± 1.8 | 0.000* |
| Duration of symptoms (minutes), mean ± SD | 140.8 ± 258.2 | 191.7 ± 339.2 | 420.7 ± 481.7 | 207.9 ± 350.1 | 0.001* |
| Imaging study results | |||||
| WMD¥ on MRI Fazekas score | |||||
| Low | 24 (29.3%) | 42 (43.3%) | 10 (33.3%) | 76 | 0.006* |
| Moderate | 22 (26.8%) | 28 (28.9%) | 10 (33.3%) | 60 | |
| Severe | 12 (14.6%) | 16 (16.5%) | 9 (30.0%) | 37 | |
| §ABCD2 Score | |||||
| ≤ 3 | 63 (64.9%) | 58 (44.3%) | 5 (16.1%) | 126 | 0.000* |
| 3 < | 34 (35.1%) | 73 (55.7%) | 26 (83.9%) | 133 | |
| Discharged patients' medications | |||||
| Antiplatelet/anticoagulation therapy | 77 (79%) | 131 (100%) | 31 (100%) | 239 | 0.000* |
| Anti-cholesterol therapy | 66 (68.0%) | 117 (89.3%) | 27 (87.1%) | 210 | 0.000* |
| Antihypertensive therapy | 60 (61.9%) | 113 (86.3%) | 26 (83.9%) | 199 | 0.000* |
$
TIA, Transient ischemic attack.
§
ABCD2, (Age, Blood pressure, Clinical, Duration, Diabetes).
†
PAF, Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
‡
COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
¥
WMD, White matter disease.
*
P < 0.05, Statistically meaningful.