Presenter of 1 Presentation
TIME WINDOW FOR ACUTE STROKE TREATMENT: CURRENT PRACTICE IN KING ABDULLAH MEDICAL CITY SPECIALIST HOSPITAL IN MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA
Abstract
Background and Aims
Stroke has become one of the most severe causes of long-term neurological impairment and disability and is considered one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. This study aimed to determine time delays in stroke patients from symptoms onset to treatment with tPA initiation in King Abdullah Medical City Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Methods
We reviewed 81 patients who suffered from acute stroke. The data were collected from patients’ electronic and paper files stroke. Patients were divided into two main categories based on interval time from recognition of symptoms to tPA treatment. Early treatment if the duration was less than or equal to 120 minutes while delayed treatment if the interval time was more than 120 minutes.
Results
Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) were males and more than half (506%) were in the older age group (>65 years). Patients who underwent thrombectomy were 7.4%. The mean value of NIHSS score was 10.7 (SD 7.14). The mean time from symptoms onset to arrival at the hospital was 82.4 (SD 44.1) minutes while the total time from recognition of symptoms to tPA treatment was 154 (SD 50.8) minutes. The prevalence of patients with delayed treatment was 72.8% and the rest were assumed to have early treatment (27.2%). None of the socio-demographic variables were predicted to influence delayed treatment.
Conclusions
A significant number of patients were delayed in treatment. Patients' socio-demographic data along with NIHSS scores seem to have no significant effect on delayed treatment.