Baseline characteristics
| Characteristics | EXPno <45 (n=1285) | EXPno ≥45 (n=1304) | P value |
| Clinical characteristics | |||
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 71 (61–80), 1285 | 72 (61–80), 1304 | 0.453 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 649/1285 (51) | 702/1304 (54) | 0.090 |
| NIHSS score, median (IQR) | 16 (12–20), 1262 | 16 (11–19), 1286 | 0.015 |
| SBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 148 (25), 1247 | 151 (25), 1275 | .002 |
| DBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 81 (16), 1243 | 84 (16), 1272 | <0.001 |
| Medical history, n (%) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 207/1273 (16) | 197/1299 (15) | 0.445 |
| Hypertension | 663/1263 (52) | 669/1286 (52) | 0.811 |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 396/1239 (32) | 377/1269 (30) | 0.222 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 290/1263 (23) | 325/1296 (25) | 0.210 |
| Myocardial infarction | 190/1259 (15) | 175/1288 (14) | 0.279 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 106/1244 (8.5) | 127/1293 (9.8) | 0.257 |
| Previous ICH | 21/1086 (1.9) | 28/1263 (2.2) | 0.632 |
| Previous ischemic stroke | 202/1270 (16) | 241/1298 (19) | 0.074 |
| Pre-stroke mRS score >2 | 137/1250 (11) | 146/1279 (11) | 0.717 |
| Medication and intoxications, n (%) | |||
| Antiplatelet | 404/1264 (32) | 402/1291 (31) | 0.654 |
| DOAC | 45/1263 (3.6) | 45/1296 (3.5) | 0.901 |
| Heparin | 42/1264 (3.3) | 43/1290 (3.3) | 0.988 |
| Coumarin | 161/1272 (13) | 171/1298 (13) | 0.696 |
| Smoking | 278/933 (30) | 285/1027 (28) | 0.318 |
| Imaging characteristics | |||
| Level of occlusion, n (%) | 0.001 | ||
| ICA | 52/1232 (4.2) | 72/1264 (5.7) | |
| ICA-T | 278/1232 (23) | 273/1264 (22) | |
| M1 | 762/1232 (62) | 714/1264 (56) | |
| M2 | 136/1232 (11) | 194/1264 (15) | |
| Other* | 4.0/1232 (0.3) | 11/1264 (0.9) | |
| ASPECTS, median (IQR) | 10 (8.0–11), 1244 | 10 (9.0–11), 1272 | 0.002 |
| Collaterals grade 2–3, n (%) | 679/1213 (56) | 707/1232 (57) | 0.482 |
| Intracranial atherosclerosis, n (%) | 728/1227 (59) | 763/1259 (61) | 0.518 |
| Symptomatic ICA dissection, n (%) | 39/1137 (3.4) | 49/1180 (4.2) | 0.363 |
| Symptomatic ICA stenosis, n (%) | 114/1137 (10) | 98/1180 (8.3) | 0.151 |
| Symptomatic ICA occlusion, n (%) | 110/1137 (9.7) | 140/1180 (12) | 0.089 |
| Workflow characteristics | |||
| Onset-to-groin puncture(min), mean (SD) | 203 (73), 1283 | 204 (72), 1296 | 0.737 |
| Transfer from primary stroke center, n (%) | 661/1285 (51) | 799/1304 (61) | <0.001 |
| Off-hours, n (%) | 801/1285 (62) | 828/1304 (63) | 0.540 |
| Treatment with IV alteplase, n (%) | 989/1279 (77) | 956/1303 (73) | 0.020 |
*M3/A1/A2 occlusion.
A1/A2, anterior cerebral artery; ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; DOAC, direct oral anticoagulant; EXPno, experience number ; ICA, internal carotid artery; ICA-T, ICA terminus; ICH, intracranial hemorrhage; M1/M2/M3, middle cerebral artery; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; SBP, Systolic blood pressure.