The effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the workflow of stroke patients and treatment initiation time

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment process and the golden times of treatment of stroke patients during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and to measure the impact of this pandemic on the work flow of stroke patients at the Imam Reza (AS) educational and treatment center in Tabriz.

Method: This study is a cross-sectional and retrospective study that all patients referred to Imam Reza Emergency Department in Tabriz who were admitted with a diagnosis of stroke during the first 6 months of 1399 and have an indication of receiving thrombolytics or were only admitted to the ward. , enter the study. For the comparison group, patients who were admitted to the emergency room with a stroke complaint in the first 6 months of 1398 were selected. For all studied patients, information required for the research, including age, sex, length of stay in the emergency room, time from the onset of symptoms to admission to the emergency room, to the completion of a CT scan, to the start of thrombolytic therapy, the outcome of the patients, including discharge, admission to the ward, or death And tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) treatment was recorded for patients.

Results: In 1398, 187 patients were included in the study, and in 1399, 142 patients were included in the study. In the analysis of gender difference in the first half of 1398 and 1399, no significant difference was found (Pv = 0.598). In examining the age difference of patients in the first half of 1398 and 1399, no significant difference was found (Pv = 0.382). In examining the time between the onset of symptoms and going to the emergency room in the first half of 1398 and 1399, no significant difference was found (Pv = 0.538). In the examination of the gender difference in the first half of 1398 and 1399, there was a significant difference, and in the first half of 1399, when there was the transmission of Covid-19, imaging was performed faster (Pv < 0.001). In the examination of mRS on the last day in the first half of 1398 and 1399, there was a significant difference in that most of the patients hospitalized in 1399 had died and the patients discharged with full recovery were few (Pv = 0.005). In examining the types of strokes in two different times, in the first half of 1398 and 1399, it showed a significant difference and the amount of hemorrhagic stroke was much higher (Pv = 0.006).