Table 2.
Stroke characteristics
| Pre-COVID-19 period group (n = 112) | COVID-19 period group (n = 83) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown symptom onset, n (%) | 41 (36.6) | 26 (31.3) | 0.443 |
| Wake-up strokes, n (%) | 27 (24.1) | 19 (22.9) | 0.843 |
| Median baseline NIHSS score (IQR) | 4 (2–8) | 5 (2–14) | 0.122 |
| Median discharge NIHSS score (IQR) | 2 (1–4.75) | 3 (1–10) | 0.061 |
| ASPECTS score,a median (IQR) | 10 (8–10) | 9 (7–10) | 0.032 |
| Large vessel occlusion,b n (%) | 34 (32.7) | 28 (39.4) | 0.360 |
| Stroke classification, n (%) | |||
| TIA | 17 (15.2) | 10 (12.0) | 0.573 |
| Ischemic stroke | 87 (77.7) | 61 (73.5) | 0.499 |
| Hemorrhagic stroke | 8 (7.1) | 7 (8.4) | 0.738 |
| Stroke mimics | 0 (0) | 5 (6) | 0.013 |
| Stroke etiology (TOAST),b n (%) | |||
| Atherothrombotic | 6 (5.8) | 9 (12.7) | 0.109 |
| Small vessel | 21 (20.2) | 17 (23.9) | 0.555 |
| Cardioembolic | 33 (31.7)c | 16 (22.5)d | 0.183 |
| Other | 4 (3.8) | 3 (4.2) | 0.999 |
| Undetermined | |||
| Two or more possible causes | 4 (3.8) | 1 (1.4) | 0.650 |
| Negative workup | 25 (24.0) | 21 (29.6) | 0.414 |
| Incomplete evaluation | 11 (10.6) | 4 (5.6) | 0.286 |
Numbers are n (%), median (IQR) as appropriate. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; IQR, interquartile range; n, number; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Scale; TIA, transient ischemic attack; TOAST, Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment; AF, atrial fibrillation.
Only includes patients with middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke (n = 77).
Only includes patients with ischemic stroke and TIA (n = 175).
Twenty-five patients had a previous history of AF; in 7 patients a diagnosis of AF or atrial flutter was made during admission, and in 1 patient a left ventricle ejection fraction ≤35% was detected.
Seven patients had a previous history of AF, 8 patients were diagnosed of AF or atrial flutter during admission, and 1 patient had left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy prior history.