An Evaluation of Pre-Admission Factors Affecting the Admission Time of Patients with Stroke Symptoms
Tanzer Korkmaz1, Gürkan Ersoy2, Kürşad Kutluk2, Bülent Erbil3, Funda Karbek Akarca4, Nesibe Sönmez5, Ömer Faruk Demir6
1Department Of Emergency Medicine, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty Of Medicine, Bolu,turkey
2Department Of Emergency Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty Of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey
3Department Of Emergency Medicine, Ankara Hacettepe University, Faculty Of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
4Atatürk Training And Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
5Buca Medical Center, İzmir, Turkey
6Ankara Dışkapı Training And Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Acute stroke, delay; hospital arrival; stroke onset.
Abstract
Objective: New drugs to be optimally curative in stroke therapy should be given quickly after the appearence of the symptoms. In this study, we studied the factors regarding the delay of the patients’ admissions to the emergency departments and the knowledge level of the people about the stroke.
Methods: A prospective study was designed in a third referral hospital. The adult patients admitting to hospital with neurologic symptoms were recruited in the study. The patients who admit to the hospital in more than 3 hours after the symptoms appear were asked about the reasons of the delay with open ended questions.
Results: The mean age of 117 patients that included in the study were 66.7±13.2. Of these patients, 44% (n=52) were admitted in the first three hours. For patients arriving at hospital in the first three hours the demographic analysis were statistically significant for those living with family members (p=0,008) and for those with speech impairment (p=0,002). Of the patients who arrived at the hospital in more than three hours (n=61, 45.9%), most had either waited for the symptoms to disappear or were hesitant about coming to the hospital.
Conclusions: The general knowledge level of the people about the symptoms and risk factors of stroke is thought to be the most important parameter concerning the early admittance. However in this study we found that even the knowledge level is insufficient stroke patients have been reported to admit to the emergency department in the first six hours.