Table 3 Clinical sample characteristics

Hypertension

383

70.1%

277

67.4%

71

78.0%

0.047

35

79.5%

0.155

Atrial Fibrillation

104

19.0%

72

17.5%

15

16.5%

0.814

17

38.6%

0.001

Diabetes Mellitus

118

21.6%

88

21.4%

18

19.8%

0.731

12

27.3%

0.341

Previous strokes

62

11.4%

39

10%

8

8.8%

0.836

15

34.1%

<0.001

Previous TIA

54

9.9%

40

9.7%

4

4.4%

0.103

10

22.7%

0.003

Previous AMI

54

9.9%

38

9.2%

9

9.9%

0.849

7

15.9%

0.163

Ischemic

464

84%

352

85.6%

76

83.5%

0.604

36

81.8%

0.540

Bamford Classification §

0.295

<0.001

PACS

177

32.4%

126

30.7%

37

40.7%

14

31.8%

LACS

181

33.2%

146

35.5%

29

31.9%

6

13.6%

POCS

82

15.0%

65

15.8%

13

14.3%

4

9.1%

TACS

106

19.4%

74

18.0%

12

13.2%

20

45.5%

NIHSS – at admission Mean (SD)

7.2

6.5

6.7

6.0

6.2

5.7

0.403

13.2

9.6

<0.001

Median (IQR)

5.0

7.0

5.0

6.0

4.0

8.0

0.157¥

13.0

14.0

<0.001¥

Barthel Index mean-admission

52.3

36.4

54.3

35.0

58.1

38.1

0.363

19.4

30.1

<0.001

Barthel Index mean-discharge

67.5

36.5

70.9

33.1

68.7

35.8

0.566

26.2

37.4

<0.001

Barthel Index category at discharge

0.588

<0.001

Indipendence (96–100)

189

34.6%

215

52.3%

37

40.7%

4

9.1%

Mild dependence (75–95)

106

19.4%

77

18.7%

17

18.7%

3

6.8%

Moderate dependence (46–74)

84

15.4%

58

14.1%

12

13.2%

2

4.5%

Severe dependence (0–45)

145

26.6%

56

13.6%

24

26.4%

27

61.4%

N.A.

22

4.0%

5

1.2%

1

1.1%

8

18.2%

Modified Ranking Scale at discharge

0.217

<0.001

0

50

9.2%

89

21.7%

8

8.8%

4

9.1%

1

133

24.4%

128

31.1%

28

30.8%

2

4.5%

2

76

13.9%

41

10.0%

13

14.3%

3

6.8%

3

94

17.2%

71

17.3%

18

19.8%

1

2.3%

4

131

24.0%

64

15.6%

11

12.1%

11

25.0%

5

62

11.4%

18

4.4%

13

14.3%

23

52.3%