Patients' baseline, procedural, and outcome characteristics
| Characteristics | Total (n=817) | No END (n=625) | END (n=192) | P-value |
| Baseline patient characteristics | ||||
| Age (years) | 72 (62–80) | 72 (61–80) | 73 (62–81) | 0.55 |
| Male sex | 419 (51%) | 321 (51%) | 98 (51%) | 0.94 |
| Prestroke mRS | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | 0.002 |
| NIHSS at admission | 4 (2–5) | 4 (2–5) | 3 (2–4) | 0.002 |
| Hypertension | 611 (75%) | 461 (74%) | 150 (78%) | 0.22 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 171 (21%) | 124 (20%) | 47 (25%) | 0.15 |
| Dyslipidemia | 369 (45%) | 286 (46%) | 83 (44%) | 0.60 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 286 (35%) | 232 (37%) | 54 (29%) | 0.029 |
| Time from symptom onset/last seen well to admission (min) | 180 (80–379) | 172 (77–375) | 220 (87–408) | 0.22 |
| Imaging characteristics | ||||
| ASPECTS | 9 (8–10) | 9 (8–10) | 9 (8–10) | 0.23 |
| Left hemispheric stroke | 446 (55%) | 336 (54%) | 110 (57%) | 0.39 |
| Occlusion site | ||||
| Intracranial ICA | 99 (12%) | 64 (10%) | 35 (18%) | 0.003 |
| M1 | 354 (43%) | 271 (43%) | 83 (43%) | 0.97 |
| M2 | 364 (45%) | 290 (46%) | 74 (39%) | 0.055 |
| Treatment characteristics | ||||
| Administration of tPA | 334 (41%) | 270 (43%) | 64 (34%) | 0.017 |
| Time from admission to groin puncture (min) | 81 (55–122) | 79 (53–115) | 90 (57–231) | <0.001 |
| General anesthesia | 522 (66%) | 382 (63%) | 140 (74%) | 0.008 |
| Number of passes | 1 (1–3) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–3) | <0.001 |
| TICI 0 | 55 (7%) | 29 (5%) | 26 (14%) | <0.001 |
| TICI 1 | 20 (2%) | 11 (2%) | 9 (5%) | 0.022 |
| TICI 2a | 39 (5%) | 24 (4%) | 15 (8%) | 0.024 |
| TICI 2b | 268 (33%) | 211 (34%) | 57 (30%) | 0.29 |
| TICI 3 | 435 (53%) | 350 (56%) | 85 (44%) | 0.004 |
| Successful recanalization (TICI 2b-3) | 703 (86%) | 561 (90%) | 142 (74%) | <0.001 |
| Adverse event during treatment | 147 (18%) | 96 (15%) | 51 (27%) | <0.001 |
| Vasospasm | 42 (5%) | 34 (5%) | 8 (4%) | 0.48 |
| Clot migration and embolization | 28 (3%) | 17 (3%) | 11 (6%) | 0.045 |
| Dissection or perforation | 27 (3%) | 14 (2%) | 13 (7%) | 0.002 |
| Follow-up characteristics | ||||
| 24-hour NIHSS | 3 (1–6) | 2 (1–4) | 13 (9–19) | <0.001 |
| Groin hematoma after 24 hours | 12 (1%) | 10 (2%) | 2 (1%) | 0.57 |
| ICH after 24 hours | 72 (9%) | 39 (6%) | 33 (17%) | <0.001 |
| Recurrent stroke | 35 (4%) | 22 (4%) | 13 (7%) | 0.052 |
| Outcome characteristics | ||||
| mRS score at 90-day follow-up | 1 (0–3) | 1 (0–2) | 3 (2–5) | <0.001 |
| mRS score 0–1 | 425 (52%) | 387 (62%) | 38 (20%) | <0.001 |
| mRS score 0–2 | 547 (67%) | 482 (77%) | 65 (34%) | <0.001 |
| mRS score 5–6 | 111 (14%) | 47 (8%) | 64 (33%) | <0.001 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) for continuous measures and n (%) for categorical measures. Characteristics were compared by using either Mann–Whitney U test (1) for continuous variables or a chi-square test (2) for categorical variables. Statistical significance: p<0.05.
ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score; END, early neurological deterioration; ICA, internal carotid artery; ICH, intracranial hemorrhage; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; TICI, Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction; tPA, tissue plasminogen activator.