Acute Management Should Be Optimized in Patients with Less Specific Stroke Symptoms: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study
Abstract
Anterior circulation stroke (ACS) is associated with typical symptoms, while posterior circulation stroke (PCS) may cause a wide spectrum of less specific symptoms. We aim to assess the correlation between the initial presentation of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) symptoms and the treatment timeline.
Using a retrospective, observational, single-center study, the set consists of 809 AIS patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT). We investigate the impact of baseline clinical AIS symptoms and the affected vascular territory on recanalization times in patients treated with IVT only and EVT (+/- IVT).
Regarding the IVT-only group, increasing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission and speech difficulties are associated with shorter (by 1.59 +/- 0.76 min per every one-point increase; p = 0.036, and by 24.56 +/- 8.42 min; p = 0.004, respectively) and nausea/vomiting with longer (by 43.72 +/- 13.13 min; p = 0.001) onset-to-needle times, and vertigo with longer (by 8.58 +/- 3.84 min; p = 0.026) door-to-needle times (DNT). Regarding the EVT (+/- IVT) group, coma is associated with longer (by 22.68 +/- 6.05 min; p = 0.0002) DNT, anterior circulation stroke with shorter (by 47.32 +/- 16.89 min; p = 0.005) onset-to-groin time, and drooping of the mouth corner with shorter (by 20.79 +/- 6.02 min; p = 0.0006) door-to-groin time.
Our results demonstrate that treatment is initiated later in strokes with less specific symptoms than in strokes with typical symptoms.