Open AccessChanges in Stroke Patients’ Health-Seeking Behavior by COVID-19 Epidemic Regions: Data from the Korean Stroke Registry
Author(s) -
HanYeong Jeong,
EungJoon Lee,
Min Kyoung Kang,
KiWoong Nam,
Jeonghoon Bae,
Kipyoung Jeon,
KeunHwa Jung,
SangBae Ko,
Mi Sun Oh,
Ji Sung Lee,
Jaechun Hwang,
Eun-Hwan Jeong,
Jun Lee,
Joda Kuk,
SungIl Sohn,
Sun U. Kwon,
HeeJoon Bae,
ByungWoo Yoon,
JongMoo Park
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cerebrovascular diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1421-9786
pISSN - 1015-9770
DOI - 10.1159/000519093
Subject(s) - medicine , stroke (engine) , covid-19 , thrombolysis , pandemic , emergency medicine , triage , health care , disease , pediatrics , myocardial infarction , infectious disease (medical specialty) , mechanical engineering , engineering , economics , economic growth
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to changes in stroke patients’ healthcare use. This study evaluated changes in Korean stroke patients’ health-seeking behaviors and stroke care services using data from the Korean Stroke Registry (KSR). Methods: We reviewed data from patients with acute stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) during 2019 (before COVID-19 period) and 2020 (COVID-19 period). Outcomes included patient characteristics, time from stroke onset to hospital arrival, and in-hospital stroke pathways. Subgroup analyses were performed for an epidemic region (Daegu city and Gyeongsangbuk-do region, the D-G region). Results: The study included 1,792 patients from the pre-COVID-19 period and 1,555 patients from the COVID-19 period who visited hospitals that contribute to the KSR. During the COVID-19 period, the D-G region had two-thirds the number of cases (vs. the pre-COVID-19 period) and a significant decrease in the proportion of patients with TIA (9.97%–2.91%). Unlike other regions, the median onset-to-door time increased significantly in the D-G region (361 min vs. 526.5 min, p = 0.016), and longer onset-to-door times were common for patients with mild symptoms and who were in their 60s or 70s. The number of patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis also decreased during the COVID-19 period, although the treatment times were not significantly different between the 2 periods. Discussion/Conclusion: Korean stroke patients in a COVID-19 epidemic region exhibited distinct changes in health-seeking behaviors. Appropriate triage system and public education regarding the importance of early treatment are needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.