Treatment of acute ischemic stroke in 14 German stroke units. An analysis from the stroke data bank of the German Stroke Foundation

This study compares the treatment characteristics of 3,740 patients with acute ischemic stroke in 14 established German stroke units. Follow-up after 3 months in surviving patients additionally assessed functional outcome and risk factor modification. The median age was 68 years and 41.9% were women. Twenty-six percent of all patients were admitted within 3 h after the event, and 4.2% received systemic thrombolysis. The median length of stay of all patients in the stroke unit was 3 days. Thereafter, 63% were transferred to another ward in the documenting clinic. The mean length of stay in the documenting hospital was 12 days. In seven hospitals with a follow-up rate of >80%, mortality amounted to 10.5%, and 56.2% of the patients regained functional independence. This study demonstrates the relatively favorable prognosis of patients in German stroke units as well as the low standardization of diagnostic work-up and treatment strategies.