Table 3.
Baseline characteristics of patients arriving at hospital before and after 24 h from stroke onset.
| Arrival ≤ 24 h after Stroke Onset (n = 545) | Arrival > 24 h after Stroke Onset (n = 221) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (25–75 IQR) | 73 (64–81) | 72 (64–78) | 0.7 |
| Male sex | 274 (50.3%) | 101 (45.7%) | 0.2 |
| Higher education | 106 (19.4%) | 38 (17.2%) | 0.6 |
| Place of living and living status | |||
| Living in rural areas * | 139 (25.5%) | 74 (33.5%) | 0.02 |
| Living alone * | 100 (19.1%) | 58 (27.4%) | 0.01 |
| Previous history | |||
| Prior stroke/TIA | 120 (22.1%) | 55 (24.9%) | 0.4 |
| Hypertension | 383 (70.3%) | 153 (69.2%) | 0.7 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 131 (24.1%) | 61 (27.6%) | 0.3 |
| Atrial fibrillation (previously diagnosed) * | 128 (23.5%) | 32 (14.5%) | 0.005 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 94 (17.2%) | 30 (13.6%) | 0.2 |
| Current smoking | 121 (22.6%) | 48 (21.7) | 0.8 |
| Cognitive impairment | 57 (10.4%) | 29 (13.1%) | 0.3 |
| BMI ≥ 30 | 143 (26.2%) | 54 (24.4%) | 0.6 |
| Alcohol drinking | 108 (20.2%) | 41 (18.8%) | 0.6 |
| Previous therapy | |||
| Antiplatelets | 165 (30.6%) | 70 (32.1%) | 0.7 |
| Anticoagulants | 78 (14.5%) | 27 (12.4%) | 0.4 |
| Antihypertensives | 324 (60.1%) | 117 (53.6%) | 0.1 |
| Statins | 139 (25.8%) | 56 (25.7%) | 0.9 |
| Previous level of dependence | 0.7 | ||
| mRS 0–1 | 357 (67.9%) | 149 (70.9%) | |
| mRS 2–3 | 104 (19.8%) | 39 (18.6%) | |
| mRS 4–5 | 65 (12.4%) | 22 (10.5%) | |
| Transport to hospital * | <0.0001 | ||
| By ambulance | 445 (81.6%) | 133 (60.2%) | |
| By own means | 100 (18.4%) | 88 (39.8%) | |
| NIHSS score at admission, median (25–75 IQR) * | 7 (4–16) | 4 (2–8) | <0.0001 |
| Stroke severity * | <0.0001 | ||
| NIHSS ≤ 5 | 215 (39.4%) | 137 (61.9%) | |
| NIHSS 6–15 | 182 (33.4%) | 61 (27.6%) | |
| NIHSS ≥ 16 | 148 (27.2%) | 23 (10.4%) | |
| Stroke territory * | 0.0001 | ||
| Left MCA or ACA | 201 (36.9%) | 68 (30.8%) | |
| Right MCA or ACA | 188 (34.5%) | 55 (24.9%) | |
| Vertebro-basilar | 134 (24.6%) | 91 (41.2%) | |
| Multiple territories | 21 (3.8%) | 7 (3.2%) | |
| Stroke signs and symptoms | |||
| Altered level of consciousness | 72 (13.2%) | 20 (9.1%) | 0.1 |
| Hemianopsia * | 223 (40.9%) | 48 (21.9%) | <0.0001 |
| Facial palsy * | 375 (68.9%) | 106 (48.2%) | <0.0001 |
| Vertigo | 33 (6.1%) | 16 (7.3%) | 0.5 |
| Motor weakness * | 436 (80%) | 150 (68.2%) | 0.0004 |
| Ataxia * | 69 (12.7%) | 42 (19%) | 0.02 |
| Sensory disturbance * | 169 (31.12%) | 50 (22.7%) | 0.02 |
| Speech disturbance | 393 (72.2%) | 106 (48.2%) | <0.0001 |
| Dysarthria * | 292 (53.7%) | 78 (35.5%) | |
| Aphasia | 101 (18.5%) | 28 (12.7%) |
* Result with statistical significance. IQR: interquartile range; TIA: transient ischemic attack; mRS: modified Rankin Score; NIHSS: National Institute of Health Stroke Scale; MCA: middle cerebral artery; ACA: anterior cerebral artery.