Objective: Ischemic cerebral stroke should be treated as early as possible to improve therapeutic effects and decrease disability rate. This study was performed to investigate the time of presentation of acute stroke and the time of establishment of definite diagnosis. Method: Four hospitals of different types in the Beijing area participated. Eight hundred and thirty-three patients were observed prospectively. The time from symptom onset of acute stroke to hospital arrival and the time of CT scanning were recorded. Results: Five hundred and ninety-one (70.9%) were ischemic stroke patients and 242 (29.1%) were hemorrhagic stroke patients. In Beijing Hospital the time of presentation of acute stroke was shortest among the four hospitals. The rates of patients who arrived at hospital within 3 and 6 h after acute stroke were higher for Beijing Hospital than for the other three hospitals, accounting for 42.5 and 58.8%, respectively. The time of presentation after acute ischemic stroke was longer than that after hemorrhagic stroke in all four hospitals. CT scanning was conducted most timely in Beijing Hospital. The rates of CT scanning within 3 and 6 h also were higher in Beijing Hospital, accounting for 23.5 and 40.0%, respectively. Conclusion: In the Beijing area, even in a large hospital at the city center, only half of the patients with, ischemic stroke arrived at hospital within 6 h after stroke onset. The patients who were examined with CT scan within 6 h were less than half. It is suggested that for early treatment of ischemic stroke a great deal of work, such as public and professional education in the community, should be done.

Keywords:
Stroke, Timing, China
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1997 S. Karger AG, Basel
1997
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.