Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients arriving at hospital before and after 4.5 h from stroke onset.
| Arrival ≤ 4.5 h after Stroke Onset (n = 243) | Arrival > 4.5 h after Stroke Onset (n = 416) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (25–75 IQR) | 73.5 (64–81) | 72 (65–80) | 0.7 |
| Male sex | 111 (45.7%) | 206 (49.5%) | 0.3 |
| Higher education | 39 (16.04) | 81 (19.4) | 0.4 |
| Place of living and living status | |||
| Living in rural areas * | 58 (23.9%) | 130 (31.2%) | 0.04 |
| Living alone | 45 (18.9%) | 96 (24.1%) | 0.13 |
| Previous history | |||
| Prior stroke/TIA | 54 (22.2%) | 96 (23.1%) | 0.8 |
| Hypertension | 171 (70.4%) | 286 (68.7%) | 0.6 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 55 (22.6%) | 108 (25.9%) | 0.3 |
| Atrial fibrillation (previously diagnosed) * | 72 (29.6%) | 65 (15.6%) | <0.0001 |
| Ischemic heart disease * | 50 (20.6%) | 59 (14.2%) | 0.03 |
| Current smoking | 46 (19.3%) | 99 (23.9%) | 0.16 |
| Cognitive impairment | 27 (11.1%) | 49 (11.8%) | 0.8 |
| BMI ≥ 30 | 63 (25.9%) | 101 (24.3%) | 0.6 |
| Alcohol drinking | 43 (17.9%) | 84 (20.5%) | 0.4 |
| Previous therapy | |||
| Antiplatelets | 76 (31.5%) | 134 (32.7%) | 0.7 |
| Anticoagulants * | 44 (18.2%) | 44 (10.7%) | 0.006 |
| Antihypertensives | 149 (61.8%) | 231 (56.3%) | 0.17 |
| Statins | 66 (27.4%) | 102 (24.9%) | 0.5 |
| Previous level of dependence | 0.3 | ||
| mRS 0–1 | 166 (70.6%) | 280 (70.3%) | |
| mRS 2–3 | 38 (16.2%) | 78 (19.6%) | |
| mRS 4–5 | 31 (13.2%) | 40 (10.1%) | |
| Transport to hospital * | <0.0001 * | ||
| By ambulance | 208 (85.6%) | 282 (67.8%) | |
| By own means | 35 (14.4%) | 134 (32.2%) | |
| NIHSS at admission, median (25–75 IQR) * | 10 (5–19) | 5 (2–9) | <0.0001 * |
| Stroke severity * | <0.0001 * | ||
| NIHSS ≤ 5 | 74 (30.4%) | 239 (57.4%) | |
| NIHSS 6–15 | 87 (35.8%) | 120 (28.8%) | |
| NIHSS ≥ 16 | 82 (33.7%) | 57 (13.7%) | |
| Stroke territory * | <0.0001 * | ||
| Left MCA or ACA | 90 (37.2%) | 136 (32.7%) | |
| Right MCA or ACA | 97 (40.1%) | 114 (27.4%) | |
| Vertebro-basilar | 44 (18.2%) | 152 (36.5%) | |
| Multiple territories | 11 (4.5%) | 14 (3.4%) | |
| Stroke signs and symptoms | |||
| Altered level of consciousness | 34 (13.9%) | 41 (9.8%) | 0.13 |
| Hemianopsia * | 123 (50.6%) | 106 (25.7%) | <0.0001 |
| Facial palsy * | 183 (75.3%) | 222 (53.6%) | <0.0001 |
| Vertigo | 11 (4.5%) | 30 (7.2%) | 0.2 |
| Motor weakness * | 204 (83.9%) | 296 (71.3%) | 0.0002 |
| Ataxia * | 28 (11.6%) | 72 (17.3%) | 0.04 |
| Sensory disturbance * | 97 (39.9%) | 88 (21.5%) | <0.0001 |
| Speech disturbance | 180 (74.1%) | 236 (57%) | <0.0001 |
| Dysarthria * | 127 (52.3%) | 174 (42.1%) | |
| Aphasia | 53 (21.8%) | 62 (14.9%) |
* Result with statistical significance. TIA: transient ischemic attack; mRS: modified Rankin Score; NIHSS: National Institute of Health Stroke Scale; IQR: Interquartile Range; MCA: middle cerebral artery; ACA: anterior cerebral artery.