Table Comparison of characteristics between included patients and excluded patients

Included patients
number=647 / Excluded patients
number=119 / P value
Age, years / 58.1 ± 13.6 / 59.3 ± 14.2 / 0.926
Male, number (%) / 350(54.1) / 65(54.6) / 0.916
Stroke subtypes, number (%) / 0.114
Ischemic stroke / 182(28.1) / 42(35.3)
hemorrhagic stroke / 465(71.9) / 77(64.7)
Time from stroke onset, number (%) / 0.000
≤ 24 hours / 183(28.3) / 22(18.5)
25-72 hours / 297(45.9) / 37(31.1)
> 72 hours / 167(25.8) / 60(50.4)
Medical history, number (%)
Hypertension / 424(65.5) / 75(63.0) / 0.598
Diabetes mellitus / 128(19.8) / 24(20.2) / 0.923
Hyperlipidemia / 109(16.8) / 16(13.4) / 0.356
Coronary artery disease / 67(10.4) / 17(14.3) / 0.201
Atrial fibrillation / 40(6.2) / 12(10.1) / 0.120
Heart failure / 21(3.2) / 5(4.2) / 0.597

Table The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Scores Definition

Items / Scores
1a. Level of Consciousness (LOC) Responsiveness / 0=alert and responsive
1=arousable to minor stimulation
2=arousable only to painful stimulation
3=reflex reponses or unarousable
1b. LOC Questions--Ask patient’s age and month. Must be exact. / 0=Both correct
1=One correct (or dysarthria, intubated, foreign lang)
2=Neither correct
1c. LOC Commands--open/close eyes, grip and release non-paretic hand, (Other 1-step commands or mimic ok) / 0=Both correct (ok if impaired by weakness)
1=One correct
2=Neither correct
2. Best Gaze--Horizontal Eye Movement (EOM) by voluntary or Doll’s / 0=Normal
1=partial gaze palsy; abnormal gaze in 1 or both eyes
2=Forced eye deviation or total paresis which cannot be overcome by Doll’s.
3. Visual Field--Use visual threat if nec. If monocular, score field of good eye. / 0=No visual loss
1=Partial hemianopia, quadrantanopia, extinction
2=Complete hemianopia
3=Bilateral hemianopia or blindness
4. Facial Palsy--If stuporous, check symmetry of grimace to pain. / 0=Normal
1=minor paralysis, flat NLF, asymm smile
2=partial paralysis (lower face=UMN)
3=complete paralysis (upper & lower face)
5. Motor Arm--arms outstretched 90 deg (sitting) or 45 deg (supine) for 10 secs. Encourage best effort. Circle paretic arm in score box / 0=No drift ×10 secs.
1=Drift but doesn’t hit bed
2=Some antigravity effort, but can’t sustain
3=No antigravity effort, but even miminal mvt counts
4=No movement at all
X =unable to assess due to amputation, fusion, fx, etc.
L or R
6. Motor Leg--raise leg to 30 deg supine ×5 secs. / 0=No drift ×5 secs.
1=Drift but doesn’t hit bed
2=Some antigravity effort, but can’t sustain
3=No antigravity effort, but even miminal mvt counts
4=No movement at all
X=unable to assess due to amputation, fusion, fx, etc.
L or R
7. Limb Ataxia--check finger-nose-finger ; heel-shin; and score only if out of proportion to paralysis / 0=No ataxia (or aphasic, hemiplegic)
1=ataxia in upper or lower extremity
2= ataxia in upper AND lower extremity
X=unable to assess due to amputation, fusion, fx, etc.
L or R
8. Sensory--Use safety pin. Check grimace or withdrawal if stuporous. Score only stroke-related losses. / 0=Normal
1=mild-mod unilateral loss but pt aware of touch (or aphasic, confused)
2=Total loss, pt unaware of touch. Coma, bilateral loss
9. Best Language--Describe cookie jar picture, name objects, read sentences. May use repeating, writing, stereognosis / 0=Normal
1=mild-mod aphasia; (diff but partly comprehensible)
2=severe aphasia; (almost no info exchanged)
3=mute, global aphasia, coma. No 1 step commands
10. Dysarthria--read list of words / 0=Normal
1=mild-mod; slurred but intelligible
2=severe; unintelligible or mute
X=intubation or mech barrier
11. Extinction/Neglect--simultaneously touch patient on both hands, show fingers in both vis fields, ask about deficit, left hand / 0=Normal, none detected. (vis loss alone)
1=Neglects or extinguishes to double simult stimulation in any modality (vis, aud, sens, spatial, body parts)
2=profound neglect in more than one modality

Table 3 The modified Rankin Scale Scores Definition

Items / Scores
No symptoms. / 0
No significant disability. Able to carry out all usual activities, despite some symptoms. / 1
Slight disability. Able to look after own affairs without assistance, but unable to carry out all previous activities. / 2
Moderate disability. Requires some help, but able to walk unassisted. / 3
Moderately severe disability. Unable to attend to own bodily needs without assistance, and unable to walk unassisted. / 4
Severe disability. Requires constant nursing care and attention, bedridden, incontinent. / 5
Dead. / 6