Clinical and Demographic Properties of the Acute Stroke Patients Admitted to Emergency Department of a Tertiary Referral Center

Objective: Stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality and has an increasing trend in the emergency department. It has become crucial to treat ischemic stroke with thrombolytic therapy. We reviewed the findings of the initial examinations, arrival times, clinical and demographic characteristics of stroke patients in our emergency department. Material and Methods: One hundred forty-seven stroke patients who registered at the emergency department within the first 24 hours were included in this study. Parameters, such as stroke type, age, gender, medical history, arrival complaints, application time, hospitalization department, and time, were recorded. Results: Patients’ mean age was 66.01±13.07 years (ischemic stroke: 85.7%, hemorrhagic stroke: 14.3%). No significant difference was observed between the ages, arrival complaints, and stroke types. The main risk factor was hypertension. While ischemic stroke patients were typically brought in the morning time, the hemorrhagic stroke patients were brought in the afternoon. While the common complaint of ischemic stroke patients was hemiparesis/plegia, hemorrhagic stroke patients mostly complained of impairment/loss of consciousness. Conclusion: The majority of stroke patients came with numerous clinical hallmarks that help in the diagnosis. Since early medical intervention is life-saving, evaluation of these clinical clues of the patient in a short time is the key to lifesaving treatment. (JAEM 2014; 13: 135-8)