Factors Associated with Delay in Seeking Treatment by Patients with Acute Stroke: The National Neurology Registry (NNeuR) of Malaysia

Malinee Neelamegam, University of South Florida
Sharad Malavade, University of South Florida
Irene Looi, Ministry of Health, Malaysia
Norsima Nazifah Sidek, Ministry of Health, Malaysia
Zariah Abdul Aziz, Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Timely treatment access improves post-stroke outcome and post-stroke course in acute stroke. Aiming to determine factors associated with acute stroke patients’ delayed arrival to hospitals in Malaysia, secondary data analysis of 3,856 patients in ‘National Neurology Registry of Malaysia’ from January 2010 to December 2013 using bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression was conducted. Mild to moderate stroke patients were less likely to reach hospitals within 3 hours symptom onset versus severe stroke patients (OR 0.386, 95% CI, 0.214 – 0.698). Ischemic stroke patients were less likely to arrive at the hospital within 3 hours of symptom onset compared to patients with intracerebral haemorrhage (OR 0.002, 95% CI 0.002-0.004). After adjustment for severity and stroke type, moderate to severely disabled individuals at discharge were 93.194 times more likely (95% CI, 50.369-172.427) to reach hospital after 3 hours of symptom onset versus patients with no significant stroke related disability at discharge.