Research Article
Acute Stroke Care and Thrombolytic Therapy Use in a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon
Table 2
Characteristics of patients presenting within 4.5 hours from symptom onset by group (rt-PA versus no rt-PA).
| Characteristics | All | No rt-PA | rt-PA | value |
| Total sample | | | | | Gender | | | | | Male | 15 (45.5%) | 12 (48.0%) | 3 (37.5%) | 0.70 | Female | 18 (54.5%) | 13 (52.0%) | 5 (62.5%) | Age (mean, sd) | 70.6 (13.6) | 68.7 (14.3) | 77.7 (6.9) | 0.23 | Arrival mode | | | | | EMS | 5 (15.2%) | 5 (20.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.30 | Private | 26 (78.8%) | 19 (76.0%) | 7 (87.5%) | Unknown | 2 (6.1%) | 1 (4.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | Presenting symptoms | | | | | Weakness | 23 (69.7%) | 18 (72.0%) | 5 (62.5%) | 0.67 | Numbness | 6 (18.2%) | 6 (24.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.30 | Loss of vision | 2 (6.1%) | 1 (4.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0.43 | Loss of speech | 24 (72.7%) | 17 (68.0%) | 7 (87.5%) | 0.39 | Headache | 33 (100.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | Dizziness | 2 (6.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.00 | Ataxia | 1 (3.0%) | 1 (4.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.00 | Decreased LOC | 9 (27.3%) | 9 (36.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.07 | Dysphagia/syncope/vertigo | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | Fall | 2 (6.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | 0 (0.05) | 1.00 | Past medical history | | | | | HTN | 28 (84.8%) | 22 (88.0%) | 6 (75.0%) | 0.57 | Diabetes | 13 (39.4%) | 10 (40.0%) | 3 (37.5%) | 1.00 | CAD | 9 (27.3%) | 7 (28.0%) | 2 (25.0%) | 1.00 | CHF | 3 (9.1%) | 3 (12.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.56 | AFIB/aflutter | 7 (21.2%) | 6 (24.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0.65 | Dyslipidemia | 16 (48.5%) | 12 (48.0%) | 4 (50.0%) | 1.00 | Peptic ulcer disease/GI bleed | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | CVA | 11 (33.3%) | 10 (40.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0.22 | Seizure | 3 (9.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 1.00 | TIA | 3 (9.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 1.00 | ICH | 1 (3.0%) | 1 (4.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.00 | Dementia | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | Cancer | 1 (3.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0.24 | Smoking | | | | | Yes | 10 (33.3%) | 6 (27.3%) | 4 (50.0%) | 0.41 | Previous | 7 (23.3%) | 5 (22.7%) | 2 (25.0%) | No | 13 (43.3%) | 11 (50.0%) | 2 (25.0%) | Medications | | | | | Low molecular weight heparin | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | Aspirin | 16 (48.5%) | 13 (52.0%) | 3 (37.5%) | 0.69 | Clopidogrel | 5 (15.6%) | 4 (16.7%) | 1 (12.5%) | 1.00 | Warfarin | 5 (15.6%) | 5 (20.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.30 | Physical examination | | | | | Mental status change | 7 (21.2%) | 7 (28.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.15 | Motor deficit | 25 (75.8%) | 18 (72.0%) | 7 (87.5%) | 0.64 | Sensory deficit | 3 (9.4%) | 3 (12.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.56 | Cranial nerve deficit | 14 (42.4%) | 9 (36.0%) | 5 (62.5%) | 0.24 | Gait change | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — | Cerebellar deficit | 2 (6.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.00 | Babinski positive | 12 (36.4%) | 8 (32.0%) | 4 (50.05) | 0.42 | Vital signs (mean sd) | | | | | Systolic BP | 153.0 (30.4) | 152.3 (30.0) | 156.2 (34.8) | 0.69 | Diastolic BP | 78.0 (14.7) | 76.4 (13.9) | 84.8 (17.5) | 0.23 | Heart rate | 83.0 (21.5) | 82.7 (22.3) | 84.5 (19.6) | 0.83 | Blood glucose | 164.4 (82.3) | 164.7 (83.0) | 163.7 (87.3) | 0.95 | Laboratory (mean sd) | | | | | Platelet count K | 223.9 (64.9) | 230.5 (68.4) | 195.2 (38.8) | 0.12 | International normalized ratio (INR) | 1.2 (0.4) | 1.3 (0.4) | 1.0 (0.0) | 0.51 | Prothrombin time (PT) | 14.9 (5.0) | 15.5 (5.3) | 11.6 (0.1) | 0.41 | Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) | 32.0 (7.1) | 33.2 (7.5) | 27.3 (1.8) | 0.27 | CT | | | | | CT done | 31 (93.9%) | 23 (92.0%) | 8 (100.0%) | 1.00 | Acute infarction | 18 (54.5%) | 16 (69.6%) | 2 (25.0%) | 0.04 | MRI | | | | | MRI done | 24 (72.7%) | 19 (76.0%) | 5 (62.5%) | 0.65 | Acute infarction | 21 (63.6%) | 17 (89.5%) | 4 (80.0%) | 0.52 | Physician specialty | | | | | EM | 18 (54.5%) | 12 (48.0%) | 6 (75.0%) | 0.24 | Other | 15 (45.5%) | 13 (52.5%) | 2 (25.0%) | |
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Other (internal medicine and family medicine).
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