Factors Associated with Early Hospital Arrival in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke / 대한뇌졸중학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Factors associated with early arrival may vary according to the characteristics of the hospital. We investigated the factors associated with early hospital arrival in two different stroke centers located in Korea and Japan. METHODS: Consecutive patients with ischemic stroke arrived hospital within 48 hours of onset between January 2011 and December 2012 were identified and the clinical and time variables were retrieved from the prospective stroke registries of Severance Hospital of Yonsei University Health System (YUHS; Seoul, Korea) and National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (NCVC; Osaka, Japan). Subjects were dichotomized into early (time from onset to arrival 4.5 hours) arrival groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with early hospital arrival. RESULTS: A total of 1,966 subjects (992 from YUHS; 974 from NCVC) were included in this study. The median time from onset to arrival was 6.1 hours [interquartile range, 1.7-17.8 hours]. In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with early arrival were atrial fibrillation (Odds ratio [OR], 1.505; 95% confidence interval [CI], [1.168-1.939]), higher initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores (OR, 1.037; 95% CI [1.023-1.051]), onset during daytime (OR, 2.799; 95% CI [2.173-3.605]), and transport by an emergency medical service (OR, 2.127; 95% CI [1.700-2.661]). These factors were consistently associated with early arrival in both hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Despite differences between the hospitals, there were common factors related to early arrival. Efforts to identify and modify these factors may promote early hospital arrival and improve stroke outcome.

Factors Related to Prehospital Time Delay in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Despite recent successful efforts to shorten the door-to-balloon time in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), prehospital delay remains unaffected. Nonetheless, the factors associated with prehospital delay have not been clearly identified in Korea. We retrospectively evaluated 423 patients with STEMI. The mean symptom onset-to-door time was 255 +/- 285 (median: 150) min. The patients were analyzed in two groups according to symptom onset-to-door time (short delay group: 180 min). Inhospital mortality was significantly higher in long delay group (6.9% vs 2.8%; P = 0.048). Among sociodemographic and clinical variables, diabetes, low educational level, triage via other hospital, use of private transport and night time onset were more prevalent in long delay group (21% vs 30%; P = 0.038, 47% vs 59%; P = 0.013, 72% vs 82%; P = 0.027, 25% vs 41%; P < 0.001 and 33% vs 48%; P = 0.002, respectively). In multivariate analysis, low educational level (1.66 [1.08-2.56]; P = 0.021), symptom onset during night time (1.97 [1.27-3.04]; P = 0.002), triage via other hospital (1.83 [1.58-5.10]; P = 0.001) and private transport were significantly associated with prehospital delay (3.02 [1.81-5.06]; P < 0.001). In conclusion, prehospital delay is more frequent in patients with low educational level, symptom onset during night time, triage via other hospitals, and private transport, and is associated with higher inhospital mortality.

Factors Associated With Reduced Prehospital Delay Over 4 Years in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Within 48 Hours of Symptom Onset

BACKGROUND: Prehospital delay is a major obstacle for successful treatment of acute stroke. We investigated the annual change of prehospital delay and related factors in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). METHODS: From prospective patient registry, demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who presented within 48 hours of symptom onset after AIS or TIA from 2005 to 2008 were analyzed. We compared the annual change of prehospital delay (time from symptom onset to hospital arrival) and the proportion of early arrival (EA-3, prehospital delay<3 h; EA-6, prehospital delay<6 h). We also investigated factors associated with prehospital delay and early arrival. RESULTS: Of 612 patients, 623 events of AIS or TIA were analyzed. The adjusted geometric mean (95% CI) of prehospital delay (hours) was 7.42 (6.07-9.06) in 2005, 8.18 (6.76-9.89) in 2006, 4.39 (3.50-5.51) in 2007, and 4.02 (3.10-5.22) in 2008 (p<0.01). The proportion of early arrival (year) was 23.6% (2005), 31% (2006), 58% (2007), 54% (2008) for EA-3 (p<0.001) and 38.8% (2005), 32.5% (2006), 51.6% (2007), 75% (2008) for EA-6 (p<0.001). Compared with 2006, the adjusted odds (95% CI) for early arrival were 1.54 (0.87-2.71) in 2005, 1.91 (1.11-3.30) in 2007, 2.29 (1.31-4.01) in 2008 for EA-3 and 1.37 (0.84-2.25) in 2005, 1.73 (1.06-2.81) in 2007, 2.03 (1.23-3.36) in 2008 for EA-6. Younger age, severe neurologic deficit, admission through emergency department, cardioembolic stroke, and TIA were also independently associated with early arrival. CONCLUSIONS: From 2005 to 2008, prehospital delay decreased and potential candidates for thrombolytic therapy increased significantly.

Prehospital Delay Factors After Stroke and Paramedic Identification of Stroke Patients in a Metropolitan City Emergency Medical Service System

BACKGROUND: Accurate recognition of stroke victims by ambulance paramedics is necessary to ensure the rapid transfer of these patients to the hospital. We carried out a prospective study to characterize the cause of prehospital delays after stroke by the emergency medical service (EMS) and to determine the accuracy of identifying acute stroke by paramedics. METHODS: All paramedics in the Busan Metropolitan 119 EMS were asked to record the clinical presentations and time intervals from symptom onset to various points along the patients' prehospital course on the ambulance admission sheets for suspected stroke patients during a month (February 1, 2010 to February 28, 2010). Neurologists in twenty four hospitals reviewed the hospital records for the patients who were given a diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack by the paramedics. RESULTS: Of the EMS on-scene evaluations, the diagnosis of stroke by ambulance paramedics was correct for 79 of the 186 (43%) patients. Positive predictive values for main suspected stroke symptoms were 95% in hemiparesis, 88% in speech disturbance and 44% in impaired consciousness. The prehospital personnel transferred the suspected stroke patients to each hospital at a mean of 25 minutes after the emergency 119 call. However, only 62% of the stroke patients called EMS within the first 2 hours of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Public education for the need to seek EMS promptly after stroke as a medical emergency, and strokespecific training for EMS personnel are essential so that stroke patients receive effective acute treatment.

Fatores que influenciam o tempo de decisão de homens e mulheres com infarto do miocárdio para a procura de serviço de saúde / Factors influencing the decision time for menand women with myocardial infarction to the demand for health services

Introdução: O retardo para a decisão da procura de atendimento médico diante do infarto do miocárdio (IAM) é entrave para o recebimento dos benefícios das terapêuticas de reperfusão miocárdica. Objetivo geral: Analisar, para homens (H) e mulheres (M) que sofreram IAM, a influência de fatores socioeconômicos, clínicos, ambientais, cognitivos e emocionais no tempo de decisão para procura de atendimento médico (TD). Objetivos específicos: Identificar o TD para os gêneros; descrever, para eles, os fatores socioeconômicos, clínicos, ambientais, cognitivos e emocionais que influenciam no TD; verificar se os gêneros são modificadores da relação entre TD e esses fatores. Metodologia: Estudo analítico, de corte transversal, realizado em dois hospitais públicos, referência para atendimento em cardiologia, em Salvador/BA. Cem pessoas com diagnóstico médico de IAM, orientadas no tempo e espaço, foram entrevistadas. O TD foi analisado pela média geométrica (MG). Para analisar a associação entre esses fatores e os gêneros empregou-se o teste Q-quadrado e o teste Exato de Fisher. Para verificar a influência desses fatores no TD e se os gêneros constituíram variável modificadora das associações de interesse, empregou-se o modelo de regressão linear robusto. A significância estatística adotada para todos os testes foi de 5%, enquanto que, para análise da interação, adotou-se valor de p≤ 0,10. Resultados: A média de idade para as mulheres foi de 58,97 anos ± dp12,10 e dos homens de 58,70 anos ± dP11,08. A maioria da amostra era da raça/cor negra (71%), casada (75%), tinha até o 1º grau (69%), recebia até 3 salários mínimos (63%), economicamente ativa (67%) e procedente de Salvador/BA (70%). Não houve associação significante entre os gêneros e essas variáveis. A MG para TD foi de 1,06h e, respectivamente, para H e M de 0,9h e 1,4h. Não se observou associação significante entre TD e os fatores socioeconômicos. Entre os fatores clínicos observouse associação significante para indivíduos: tabagistas (TD=0,5h) em relação a não tabagistas (TD=1,3h), com dor no pescoço (TD=2,4h) e mandibular (TD=4,2h), em relação aos que não as tiveram (respectivos TD=0,9h; TD=1,0h); com dor constante (TD=0,7h) em relação a dor inconstante (TD=2,7h); com dor leve (TD=6,6h) em relação a moderada e intensa (TD=2,1h e 0,6h, respectivamente). Quanto aos fatores cognitivos e emocionais, verificou-se associação significante para os participantes que: consideraram graves os sintomas (TD=0,8h) em relação aos que não perceberam gravidade (TD= 2,0h), procuraram imediatamente um serviço de saúde (TD=0,1h) em relação aos que retardaram essa decisão (TD=1,9h), esperaram a melhora dos sintomas (TD= 2,2h) e tomaram algo para melhorar (TD=1,9h) em relação aos que não tiveram essas iniciativas (TD respectivos de 0,2h e 0,5h). Com a piora dos sintomas, notou-se associação significante para os que tomaram algo para melhorar (TD=13,8h) e esperaram a sua melhora (TD=17,0h) em relação aos que não adotaram essas ações (TD=1,8 e 1,9h). Quanto aos fatores ambientais, encontrou-se associação significante para as pessoas em casa no início dos sintomas (TD= 1,3h) em relação às que estavam no trabalho (TD=1,4h) ou via pública (TD=0,3h). O gênero foi potencial modificador das associações entre TD e viver acompanhado (p=0,066), tabagismo (p=0,017); presença de dor no pescoço (p=0,011) e mandibular (p=0,000); esperar a melhora dos sintomas (p=0,014), ocultar os sintomas (p=0,016); pedir ajuda a alguém na piora dos sintomas (p=0,050); ter companheiro (a) (p=0,012) e filhos (p=0,106) como pessoa no entorno. Conclusões: Homens e mulheres apresentaram TD elevados para a procura de atendimento médico. Alguns fatores de natureza clínica, cognitiva, emocional e ambiental foram associados a maior TD, e o gênero foi potencial modificador da relação entre TD e esses fatores. O conhecimento obtido oferece subsídios para práticas de cuidar focalizadas na especificidade desses fatores e dos gêneros, a fim de que se possa obter êxito na redução do TD para a procura de atendimento médico.(AU)

Factors influencing prehospital delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for prehospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods A total of 807 consecutive patients with AMI who presented to the emergency department of Beijing Anzhen Hospital were analyzed. The influence of several potential risk factors on the prehospital delay time (PDT) was evaluated by comparing patients admitted more than 2 hours after onset of chese pain with those admitted within 2 hours after onset. Results Among 807 patients, 402 came to the hospital within 2 hours while the others arrived at the hospital after 2 hours. The median PDT was 130 min. Among the potential variables, advanced age, history of diabetes mellitus, occurrence of symptom at night and use of emergency medical service significantly affected PDT by multivariate analysis. Conclusion Interventions aimed at reducing the prehospital delay in AMI should primarily focus on the awareness of the risk and help-seeking behavior of patients.

Factors Related to Prehospital Delay Time in Patients with Stroke / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors which can delay hospital arrival for patients with acute stroke. METHOD: The participants for this study were 102 patients who were admitted to the Department of Neurology in a hospital in Chungnam province. Data were collected from Oct, 2002 to June, 2003. The data were analyzed with frequencies, percentages, and x2 test using the SPSS PC program. RESULT: The results of this study were as follows: 1. Only 33.8 % of participants arrived at the hospital within 3 hours. 2. Educational level, economic status, people living in same residence, and place of residence were factors which significantly affected prehospital delay time. Also there were significant differences in prehospital delay time according to family history of stroke, day of the week when symptoms began, perception of seriousness of symptoms, type of hospital first used, and transportation. CONCLUSION: Therefore, to reduce prehospital delay time, educational programs which focus on the above factors need to be developed. Also, a public campaign for utilizing emergency service to reduce transportation time for acute stroke patients need to be facilitated.