Abstract
Background and Purpose: We analyzed the time interval from onset to consultation among patients with acute stroke and the present conditions of the rt-PA therapy at our hospital in a sparsely populated area to clarify the current status and regional gaps of an acute stroke care system.Methods: 368 patients with acute stroke (245 patients with cerebral infarction, 92 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, and 31 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage) were analyzed retrospectively. 198 cases were transferred to our hospital and 170 cases attended our hospital by themselves.Results: 60% and 17% arrived at hospital within 3 hours post-onset, respectively. Mean time from the phone call to hospital arrival was 39 min. In 21 (8.5%) out of 245 cases with cerebral infarction, rt-PA therapy was applied. As a result, mRS 0-1 rate of those cases accounted for 38%.Conclusions: These data suggest that the acute stroke care system is not unsatisfactory at our hospital in a sparsely populated area. A large number of stroke physicians at our hospital may be associated with increased rt-PA utilization. Development of an acute stroke care system with a larger number of stroke physicians is therefore urgently needed, especially in a sparsely populated area.
