Variables Associated with Delayed Hospital Arrival of Stroke Patients Living in Taejon and Its Suburban Areas

ABSTRACT

Recent stroke researches have re-emphasized the critical therapeutic time window for antithrombotic and neuroprotective trials for the stroke victims. In this prospective study , we tried to reveal the variables that had delayed the presentation time of the acute stroke patients living in Taejon and its suburban areas. The time of stroke onset, distance from the place of stroke occurrence to the Chung-nam National Univorsity Hospital (CNUH), level of consciousness, basic demographic data, place of residence, and referral routes were assessed. During the study period of 8 months, 173 new patients visited the emergency department of the CNLTH.in the acute phase of stroke. Of 173 patients, 122 had cerebral ischemia (CI), 40 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 11 subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Only 91 patients (52.6%) presented within 6 hours. Fourty-six percent of Cl, 65% of ICH, and 72% of SAH patients presented within 6 hours. There was no correlation between the presentation time and the age, sex, stoke subtype, distance from CNLTH, and place of residence. The vat-la ' bles that had significantly delayed the presentation time included the better initial consciousness level and referral route through the oriental medicine clinics. These findings suggest that the need for prompt management of stroke patient is poorly understood and that the onental medicine is still preferred by the general population. Tlius, we need to develop an education program and public activities as well as an effective patient dehvery system to nunmum the neuronal damage following stroke.