Table 1 Baseline characteristics, cormorbidity and clinical findings comparing 557 stroke patients admitted directly to stroke unit, Fast Track, (cases) and 509 patients not accepted for Fast Track and therefore admitted via the ED (controls).
Characteristics | Total patients | Accepted fast track (cases) | Not accepted fast track (controls) | P-value | Standarized mean difference (SMD) (effect size) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n = 1066 | n = 557 | n = 509 | |||
Age, years | |||||
Median (min; max) | 81.2 (27; 104) | 81.4 (45; 104) | 80.4 (27; 99) | ||
Mean (SD) | 79.4 (11.2) | 79.9 (10.9) | 78.9 (11.5) | 0.15 | 0.088 |
Sex, n(%) | |||||
Woman | 533 (50.0%) | 280 (50.3%) | 253 (49.7%) | 0.90 | 0.01 |
Living support n(%) | |||||
Missing n(%) | 223 (20.9%) | 117 (21.0%) | 106 (20.8%) | ||
Living alone without help | 514 (61.0%) | 271 (61.6%) | 243 (60.3%) | ||
Living alone with help | 185 (21.9%) | 93 (21.1%) | 92 (22.8%) | ||
Residential care facility | 144 (17.1%) | 76 (17.3%) | 68 (16.9%) | 0.87 | |
Living situation n(%) | |||||
Missing n(%) | 228 (21.4%) | 120 (21.5%) | 108 (21.2%) | ||
Living alone | 519 (61.9%) | 272 (62.2%) | 247 (61.6%) | ||
Living together | 319 (38.1%) | 165 (37.8%) | 154 (38.4%) | 0.85 | |
Current smoker | |||||
Missing n(%) | 335 (31.4%) | 172 (30.9%) | 163 (32.0%) | ||
Yes | 121 (16.6%) | 76 (19.7%) | 45 (13.0%) | 0.018 | 0.18 |
Previous stroke n(%) | |||||
Yes | 248 (23.3%) | 125 (22.4%) | 123 (24.2%) | 0.51 | |
Atrial fibrillation n(%) | |||||
Yes | 193 (18.1%) | 76 (13.6%) | 117 (23.0%) | 0.0001 | 0.24 |
Diabetes mellitus n(%) | |||||
Yes | 179 (16.8%) | 103 (18.5%) | 76 (14.9%) | 0.14 | |
Anticoagulant treatment (on arrival) n(%) | |||||
Yes | 71 (6.7%) | 12 (2.2%) | 59 (11.6%) | < .0001 | 0.38 |
Antihypertensiv medication (on arrival) n(%) | |||||
Yes | 508 (47.7%) | 260 (46.7%) | 248 (48.7%) | 0.54 | |
EMS nurses´ triage assessment according to RETTS | |||||
Missing n(%) | 155 (14.6%) | 88 (15.8%) | 67 (13.2%) | ||
Red | 25 (2.7%) | 12 (2.6%) | 13 (2.9%) | ||
Orange | 230 (25.3%) | 53 (11.3%) | 177 (40.0%) | ||
Yellow | 638 (70.0%) | 392 (83.5%) | 246 (55.7%) | ||
Green | 18 (2.0%) | 12 (2.6%) | 6 (1.4%) | < .0001 | 0.584 |
Time of day at hospital arrival n(%) | |||||
Missing n(%) | 7 (0.7%) | 5 (0.9%) | 2 (0.4%) | ||
8 AM to 4 PM | 670 (63.3%) | 329 (59.6%) | 341 (67.3%) | ||
4 PM to 10 PM | 270 (25.5%) | 167 (30.3%) | 103 (20.3%) | ||
10 PM. to 8 AM | 119 (11.2%) | 56 (10.1%) | 63 (12.4%) | 0.0010 | |
NIHSS, value total | |||||
Missing n(%) | 574 (53.8%) | 324 (58.2%) | 250 (49.1%) | ||
Median (min; max) | 3 (0; 36) | 3 (0; 30) | 3 (0; 36) | ||
Mean (SD) | 4.35 (5.25) | 4.15 (5.10) | 4.54 (5.38) | 0.41 | 0.074 |
Type of stroke | |||||
Haemorrage n(%) | 58 (5.4%) | 27 (4.8%) | 31 (6.1%) | 0.05 | |
Infarction n(%) | 1008 (94.6%) | 530 (95.2%) | 478 (93.9%) | 0.45 | 0.05 |
Clinical events during hospitalisation | |||||
Urinary track catheter during hospital stay n(%) | 154 (14.4%) | 71 (15.3%) | 83 (18.2%) | 0.27 | |
Treatment urinary tract infection n(%) | 146 (13.7%) | 82 (15.1%) | 64 (12.7%) | 0.31 | |
Recurrent stroke during hospital stay n(%) | 18 (1.7%) | 8 (1.5%) | 10 (2.0%) | 0.69 | |
Confusion during hospital stay n(%) | 4 (0.4%) | 2 (0.4%) | 2 (0.4%) | 1.00 | |
Length of hospital stay (days) | |||||
Median (min; max) | 10.1 (1; 116) | 9.8 (1; 80) | 10.5 (1; 116) | ||
Mean (SD) | 14.3 (13.6) | 13.8 (13.1) | 14.9 (14.2) | 0.19 | |
