Table 3.
Most common stroke mimics.
| Stroke Mimic, n (%) | All Mimics (n = 247) |
Referred by EMS (n = 115) |
Referred by A Physician (n = 132) |
p-Value | before Lockdown (n = 164) |
during Lockdown (n = 83) |
p-Value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seizure | 25 | (10.1) | 19 | (16.5) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.002 | 11 | (6.7) | 14 | (16.9) | 0.012 |
| Peripheral vestibulopathy | 25 | (10.1) | 1 | (0.9) | 24 | (18.0) | <0.001 | 21 | (12.8) | 4 | (4.8) | 0.072 |
| Hypertensive encephalopathy | 23 | (9.3) | 11 | (9.6) | 12 | (9.1) | 0.898 | 17 | (10.4) | 6 | (7.2) | 0.423 |
| Infection/Sepsis | 22 | (8.9) | 16 | (13.9) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.010 | 13 | (7.9) | 9 | (10.8) | 0.447 |
| Toxic/Metabolic disorder † | 18 | (7.3) | 9 | (7.8) | 9 | (6.8) | 0.761 | 9 | (5.5) | 9 | (10.8) | 0.126 |
| Sequels of previous stroke | 16 | (6.5) | 5 | (4.3) | 11 | (8.3) | 0.300 | 11 | (6.7) | 5 | (6.0) | 1.000 |
| Intracranial tumour | 13 | (5.3) | 9 | (7.8) | 4 | (3.0) | 0.151 | 5 | (3.0) | 8 | (9.6) | 0.037 |
| Psychiatric condition ‡ | 13 | (5.3) | 7 | (6.1) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.588 | 11 | (6.7) | 2 | (2.4) | 0.153 |
| Migraine and headache | 10 | (4.0) | 4 | (3.5) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.755 | 8 | (4.9) | 2 | (2.4) | 0.502 |
| Cardiovascular condition § | 10 | (4.0) | 4 | (3.5) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.755 | 6 | (3.7) | 4 | (4.8) | 0.736 |
| Syncope and presyncope | 8 | (3.2) | 2 | (1.7) | 6 | (4.5) | 0.291 | 7 | (4.3) | 1 | (1.2) | 0.273 |
| Facial nerve palsy | 5 | (2.0) | 3 | (2.6) | 2 | (1.5) | 0.666 | 2 | (1.2) | 3 | (3.6) | 0.338 |
| Musculoskeletal condition | 5 | (2.0) | 2 | (1.7) | 3 | (2.3) | 1.000 | 3 | (1.8) | 2 | (2.4) | 1.000 |
| Subdural haematoma | 4 | (1.6) | 3 | (2.6) | 1 | (0.8) | 0.341 | 4 | (2.4) | 0 | 0.304 | |
| Peripheral neuropathy | 4 | (1.6) | 1 | (0.9) | 3 | (2.3) | 0.626 | 3 | (1.8) | 1 | (1.2) | 1.000 |
| Isolated symptoms associated with normal results ¶ | 21 | (8.5) | 6 | (5.2) | 15 | (11.4) | 0.084 | 19 | (11.6) | 2 | (2.4) | 0.015 |
| Other neurological disease || | 20 | (8.1) | 10 | (8.7) | 10 | (7.6) | 0.748 | 12 | (7.3) | 8 | (9.6) | 0.528 |
| Other non−neurological disease # |
5 | (2.0) | 3 | (2.6) | 2 | (1.5) | 0.666 | 2 | (1.2) | 3 | (3.6) | 0.338 |
EMS, Emergency Medical Services; CNS, central nervous system. † Includes electrolyte imbalances (n = 14), hypo- and hyperglycaemia (n = 2), hepatic encephalopathy (n = 1), and alcohol intoxication (n = 1). ‡ Panic attacks and anxiety (n = 8), as well as delirium (n = 5)). § Cardiac insufficiency (n = 4), cardiac arrhythmia (n = 2), acute myocardial infarction (n = 2), and pulmonary embolism (n = 2). ¶ Neurological symptoms that could not be classified into any other category since they did not meet any other set of diagnostic criteria or which have no organic explanation but are not clearly associated with a psychiatric disorder. || Includes multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases (n = 5), dementia (n = 4), transient global amnesia (n = 4), myelopathy (n = 2), CNS infection (n = 2), venous sinus thrombosis (n = 1), Parkinson’s disease (n = 1), and myasthenia (n = 1). # Includes advanced cancer (n = 2), anemia (n = 2), and herpes zoster (n = 1).