Table 1.

Baseline characteristics

	Control (n = 51)	Stroke patient (n = 349)	p
Age, years	71 [67–75]	72 [62–80]	0.743
Male sex	29 (56.9)	194 (55.6)	0.984
Caucasian ethnicity	48 (94.1)	314 (90.2)	0.789
History
Atrial fibrillation/flutter	4 (7.8)	56 (16.0)	0.186
Prior stroke	3 (5.9)	109 (31.2)	<0.001
Hypertension	25 (49.0)	208 (59.6)	0.201
Myocardial infarction	10 (19.6)	44 (12.6)	0.251
Cardiac valve disease†	1 (2.0)	25 (6.9)	0.294
Peripheral vascular disease	2 (3.9)	24 (6.3)	0.717
COPD	4 (7.8)	30 (8.6)	1.000
Diabetes mellitus	7 (13.7)	67 (19.2)	0.455
Malignancy	15 (29.4)	31 (8.6)	<0.001
Current smoker	6 (11.8)	104 (29)	0.015
Alcoholism	2 (3.9)	21 (6.0)	0.781
Previous medication
Anticoagulants	5 (9.8)	37 (10.6)	1.000
Antiplatelet therapy	19 (37.3)	132 (37.8)	1.000
Statins	18 (35.3)	134 (38.4)	0.786
Angiotensin-converting enzyme   inhibitors	12 (23.5)	112 (32.5)	0.261
Proton pump inhibitors	20 (39.2)	94 (26.9)	0.099
β-blocker	14 (27.5)	123 (35.2)	0.349
Randomization to Ceftriaxone		186 (54.9)
Stroke characteristics
Cerebral infarction		287 (82.2)
Transient ischemic attack		25 (7.2)
Cerebral hemorrhage		37 (10.6)
Modified Rankin Scale score before stroke symptoms$		0 (0–1)
National Institutes of Health Stroke scale score¶		5 (3–9)
Dysphagia		96 (27.5)
Unfavorable outcome		124 (35.5)
90-day mortality		41 (11.7)

Data are median (IQR) or n/N (%). †Cardiac valve disease was defined as cardiac valve insufficiency, stenosis, or replacement. §Scores on the modified Rankin Scale range from 0 to 6, with 6 indicating death; modified Rankin Scale scores before onset of stroke symptoms were assessed in 345 stroke patients. ¶Scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale range from 0 to 30, with 30 indicating highest degree of stroke severity; these scores were assessed in all 349 patients