Patient Demographics, Characteristics, and Intrahospital Mortality of Different Ischemic Stroke Subtypes in a Tertiary Hospital during Five-Year Period

Abstract

Background and Objectives. Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the leading causes of disability, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. The goal of the study was to evaluate patient demographics, characteristics, and intrahospital mortality among different ischemic stroke subtypes. Materials and Methods. A retrospective observational non-randomized study was conducted, including only ischemic stroke patients, admitted to Pauls Stradins Clinical university hospital, Riga, Latvia, from January of 2016 until December 2020. Ischemic stroke subtypes were determined according to Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria as a stroke due to (1) large-artery atherosclerosis (atherothrombotic stroke (AS)), (2) cardioembolism (cardioembolic stroke (CS)), (3) small-vessel occlusion (lacunar stroke (LS)), (4) stroke of other determined etiology (other specified stroke (OSS)), and (5) stroke of undetermined etiology (undetermined stroke (US)). The data between different stroke subtypes were compared. Results. There was a slight female predominance among our study population, as 2673 (56.2%) patients were females. In our study group, the most common IS subtypes were cardioembolic stroke (CS), 2252 (47.4%), and atherothrombotic stroke (AS), 1304 (27.4%). CS patients were significantly more severely disabled on admission, 1828 (81.4%), and on discharge, 378 (16.8%), p < 0.05. Moreover, patients with CS demonstrated the highest rate of comorbidities and risk factors. This was also statistically significant, p < 0.05. Differences between the total patient count with no atrial fibrillation (AF), paroxysmal AF, permanent AF, and different IS subtypes among our study population demonstrated not only statistical significance but also a strong association, Cramer’s V = 0.53. The majority of patients in our study group were treated conservatively, 3389 (71.3%). Reperfusion therapy was significantly more often performed among CS patients, 770 (34.2%), p < 0.05. The overall intrahospital mortality among our study population was 570 (12.0%), with the highest intrahospital mortality rate noted among CS patients, 378 (66.3%), p < 0.05. No statistically significant difference was observed between acute myocardial infarction and adiposity, p > 0.05. Conclusions. In our study, CS and AS were the most common IS subtypes. CS patients were significantly older with slight female predominance. CS patients demonstrated the greatest disability, risk factors, comorbidities, reperfusion therapy, and intrahospital mortality.