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STROKE SUBTYPE PRESENTATION DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
European Stroke Journal ; 7(1 SUPPL):234, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1928125
ABSTRACT
Background and

aims:

It is unknown whether the covid-19 pandemic and public health measures impact stroke subtypes. We aimed to evaluate if the distribution of stroke subtypes during the pandemic's first wave was different from pre-pandemic.

Methods:

For this retrospective cohort study, patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke presenting at two comprehensive stroke-centers between March-May 2019 (pre-pandemic cohort) and March-May 2020 (pandemic cohort) were included. All patients had vascular and brain parenchymal imaging. We compared stroke subtypes and etiologies between cohorts.

Results:

The pre-pandemic cohort consisted of 234 patients and the pandemic cohort of 207 patients. There were no differences in age, sex, stroke severity, nor vascular risk factor profiles between cohorts. Proportions of patients presenting with ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke were similar in both cohorts (77% vs 75% ischemic stroke, 12% vs 14% intraparenchymal hemorrhage, 11% vs 10% subarachnoid hemorrhage;p>0.6). There were no differences in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke etiologies, except for a decreased proportion of ischemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis in the pandemic cohort (15% vs 26%;OR 0.5;95%CI 0.3-0.9). Notably, during the pandemic, ischemic stroke etiology was more often unknown due to incomplete work-up (28% vs 13%;OR 2.6;95%CI 1.5-4.5).

Conclusions:

Stay-at-home orders and the pandemic's first wave seemed not to have largely influenced stroke triggers and subsequently stroke subtypes. However, a lower incidence of large artery atherosclerosis during the pandemic may suggest a higher incidence of ischemic strokes caused by an undetected cardio-embolic source or hypercoagulable state due to incomplete work-up.
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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: European Stroke Journal Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: European Stroke Journal Year: 2022 Document Type: Article