Length of stay, stroke severity and outcomes
| Pre-COVID-19 (n=428) | COVID-19 (n=441) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode LOS, days, median (IQR) | 4.0 (2-7) | 4.7 (3-8) | 0.06 |
| Hospital LOS, days, median (IQR) | 6.0 (3-10) | 6.0 (3.5-10) | 0.61 |
| Pre mRS1, median (IQR) | 0 (0-2) | 0 (0-2) | 0.92 |
| NIHSS baseline2, median (IQR) | 3 (1-9) | 4 (1-11) | 0.049 |
| Discharge mRS3, median (IQR) | 3 (0-4) | 3 (0-4) | 0.18 |
| Severe events, n (%) | 54 (12.6) | 55 (12.5) | 0.95 |
| In-hospital Mortality, n (%) | 40 (9.3) | 55 (12.5) | 0.16 |
| Readmission within 28 days, n (%) | 32 (7.5) | 22 (5.0) | 0.16 |
| 3 months mRS4, median (IQR) | 2 (1-3) | 2 (1-3) | 0.92 |
Demographics and key performance measures
| Pre-COVID-19 (n=428) | COVID-19 (n=441) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED adult presentations | 38,576 | 35,172 | |
| Number of stroke code activations, n (%) | 742 (1.9) | 712 (2.0) | 0.33 |
| Diagnosis of stroke / TIA, n (%) | 428 (57.7) | 441 (61.9) | 0.10 |
| Age, median (IQR) | 77 (66-86) | 77 (67-85) | 0.89 |
| Gender, female n (%) | 209 (48.8) | 225 (51.0) | 0.54 |
| Type of stroke diagnosis at discharge, n (%) | |||
| Ischaemic1 | 295 (68.9) | 290 (65.8) | 0.32 |
| Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) | 66 (15.4) | 95 (21.5) | 0.02 |
| TIA | 67 (15.7) | 56 (12.7) | 0.21 |
| Known symptom onset, n (%) | 235 (54.9) | 243 (55.1) | 1.00 |
| Time from known onset to ED presentation, minutes median (IQR) | 134 (71-251) | 134 (77-238) | 0.53 |
| ASU or NSICU or NSDU admission2, n (%) | 365 (85.3) | 378 (85.7) | 0.86 |
| Time from ED presentation to ASU or NSICU or NSDU3, minutes median (IQR) | 295 (188-555) | 260 (183-448) | 0.03 |
| Time from presentation to first CT brain imaging4, minutes median (IQR) | 32 (19-85) | 30 (20-63) | 0.57 |
| Reperfusion therapy, ischemic strokes | |||
| IV thrombolysis, n (%) | 51 (17.3) | 52 (17.9) | 0.84 |
| ECR, n (%) | 38 (12.9) | 46 (15.9) | 0.30 |
| Time from presentation to IVtPA infusion, minutes median (IQR) | 60 (43-90) | 65 (45-96) | 0.53 |
| Time of onset of stroke to IVtPA infusion, minutes median (IQR) | 166 (117–218) | 186 (136–239) | 0.18 |