In:
Stroke, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), Vol. 43, No. suppl_1 ( 2012-02)
Abstract:
Purpose: As transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a medical emergency associated with a high risk of early recurrent stoke, an immediate seeking medical attention is essential to reduce a risk of stroke after TIA. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors relating to an early visit to a stroke center in patients with TIA, using data of a multicenter retrospective study. Methods: The subjects of this study were TIA patients admitted to 13 stroke centers within 7 days after onset between 2008 and 2009. The diagnosis of TIA was made in this study if clinical symptoms lasted less than 24 hours, regardless of imaging findings. We compared baseline characteristics between patients visiting a stroke center within 3 hours of TIA onset (early visit, EV group) and those after the initial 3 hours (late visit, LV group), using Chi-square tests. Results: Four hundred sixty-four patients (292 men, mean age of 69 years) were registered. Of them, 240 patients (52%) belonged to the EV group and 220 (47%) used an ambulance. One hundred twenty-seven patients (27.4%) were referred from some other medical facility and 23 patients (5.0%) were from another department within the hospital. As compared to patients in the LV group, those in the EV group more commonly had motor symptoms (p 〈 0.0001) and consciousness disturbance (p = 0.0027), and were less commonly referred from some other medical facility (p 〈 0.0001) or from another department (p = 0.0057). Patients were less likely to have a past history of TIA in the EV group than in the LV group, but not significantly (p = 0.065). Conclusions: Almost half of TIA patients visited a stroke center within 3 hours after onset. Motor symptoms and consciousness disturbance were related to an early visit. Referrals from some other medical facility or department were associated with delay in a contact to stroke specialists.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0039-2499
,
1524-4628
DOI:
10.1161/str.43.suppl_1.A2867
Language:
English
Publisher:
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Publication Date:
2012
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1467823-8
