Women With Large Vessel Occlusion Acute Ischemic Stroke Are Less Likely to Be Routed to Comprehensive Stroke Centers

Male acute ischemic stroke Cardiology 610 Diseases emergency medical services Brain Ischemia Stroke Cross-Sectional Studies Cardiovascular Diseases large vessel occlusion RC666-701 616 sex differences Medical Specialties Medicine and Health Sciences Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system Humans comprehensive stroke center Female Public Health Original Research Ischemic Stroke Retrospective Studies
DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.029830 Publication Date: 2023-07-18T09:30:11Z
ABSTRACT
Background Prehospital routing of patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke (AIS) to centers capable of performing endovascular therapy may improve clinical outcomes. Here, we explore whether distance to comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs), stroke severity, and sex are associated with direct‐to‐CSC prehospital routing in patients with LVO AIS. Methods and Results In this cross‐sectional study, we identified consecutive patients with LVO AIS from a prospectively collected multihospital registry throughout the greater Houston area from January 2019 to June 2020. Primary outcome was prehospital routing to CSC and was compared between men and women using modified Poisson regression including age, sex, race or ethnicity, first in‐hospital National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, travel time, and distances to the closest primary stroke center and CSC. Among 503 patients with LVO AIS, 413 (82%) were routed to CSCs, and women comprised 46% of the study participants. Women with LVO AIS compared with men were older (73 versus 65, P <0.01) and presented with greater National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (14 versus 12, P =0.01). In modified Poisson regression, women were 9% less likely to be routed to CSCs compared with men (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 0.91 [0.84–0.99], P =0.024) and distance to nearest CSC ≤10 miles was associated with 38% increased chance of routing to CSC (aRR, 1.38 [1.26–1.52], P <0.001). Conclusions Despite presenting with more significant stroke syndromes and living within comparable distance to CSCs, women with LVO AIS were less likely to be routed to CSCs compared with men. Further study of the mechanisms behind this disparity is needed.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Coming soon ....
REFERENCES (23)
CITATIONS (5)
EXTERNAL LINKS
PlumX Metrics
RECOMMENDATIONS
FAIR ASSESSMENT
Coming soon ....
JUPYTER LAB
Coming soon ....