Table 2.
Patient characteristics among suspected AIS or TIA as primary diagnosis telestroke requests between March 15 to April 30 during COVID-19 pandemic compared to historical controls
| 2019 (n = 80) | 2020 (n = 43) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y (SD) | 67.0 (16.0) | 60.5 (17.5) | 0.038 |
| Male gender (%) | 34 (42.5%) | 20 (46.5%) | 0.669 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| White | 40 (50.0%) | 22 (51.2%) | 0.902 |
| African American | 32 (40.0%) | 15 (34.9%) | 0.578 |
| Hispanic | 8 (10.0%) | 5 (11.6%) | 0.767 |
| Other | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.3%) | 0.350 |
| NIHSS mean (SD) | 8.1 (7.9) | 9.2 (8.2) | 0.446 |
| NIHSS severity | 0.469 | ||
| NIHSS < 5 | 42 (52.5%) | 19 (44.2%) | |
| NIHSS 5–14 | 18 (22.5%) | 14 (32.6%) | |
| NIHSS > 14 | 20 (25.0%) | 10 (23.2%) | |
| IV-rtPA (%) | 34 (42.5%) | 20 (46.5%) | 0.669 |
| Transfer for possible ET (%) | 18 (22.5%) | 9 (20.9%) | 0.841 |
Values are presented as mean (SD) or absolute (%), as appropriate. AIS indicates acute ischemic stroke, TIA indicates transient ischemic attach, NIHSS indicates National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, IV-rtPA indicates intravenous alteplase, ET indicates endovascular therapy