Imbalanced Regional Development of Acute Ischemic Stroke Care in Emergency Departments in China

Objective. Most patients of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receive treatments in the department of emergency in China. We aimed to examine the status of AIS diagnosis and treatment and the impact of green pathway operation in different regions of China. Methods. In this nationwide survey, information regarding the emergency care of AIS was collected from 451 hospitals in different regions of China, by interviewing 484 physicians from these hospitals. Structured questionnaire was used to explore the status of AIS care and impact of the green pathway. Results. 445 hospitals from 18 provinces, 4 municipalities, and 3 ethnic autonomous regions in China were included in the present study. Overall, the proportion of door-to-needle time (DNT) less than 60 min was 66.08% in the enrolled hospitals (n=298). Stratified by regions, the results suggested that hospitals located in East regions had shorter DNT time (P=0.036), and more proportion of rtPA (P<0.001) than those in West regions. Further analysis suggested that hospitals with a green channel were more likely to shorten DNT and improve the proportion of rtPA (P<0.01). Conclusion. Considerable regional differences were observed in terms of DNT time and thrombolysis rates in the departments of emergency in China. Further studies are required to confirm the regional differences in AIS care in China.