Changes in Prehospital Stroke Care and Stroke Mimic Patterns during the COVID-19 Lockdown.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 18(4)2021 02 23.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1100112
ABSTRACT
The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on prehospital stroke care is largely unknown. We aimed to compare stroke care patterns before and during a state-wide lockdown. Thus, we analysed prospective data of stroke alerts referred to our stroke centre between 1 December 2019 and 16 June 2020, and compared them between two periods-15 weeks before and 13 weeks during the state-wide lockdown declared in Lithuania on 16 March 2020. Among 719 referrals for suspected stroke, there was a decrease in stroke alerts (rate ratio 0.61, 95% CI (0.52-0.71)), stroke admissions (0.63, 95% CI (0.52-0.76)), and decrease in prehospital stroke triage quality (positive predictive value 72.1% vs. 79.9%, p = 0.042) during the lockdown. The onset-to-door time was longer (153.0 vs. 120.5 min, p = 0.049) and seizures and intracranial tumours were more common among stroke mimics (16.9% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.012 and 9.6% vs. 3.0%, p = 0.037, respectively). We conclude that there was a decline in prehospital stroke triage quality during the lockdown despite low COVID-19 incidence in the country. Moreover, we observed an increase in hospital arrival delays and severe conditions presenting as stroke mimics. Our findings suggest that improved strategies are required to maintain optimal neurological care during public health emergencies.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Brain Ischemia
/
Stroke
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph18042150
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