Table 1

Characteristics of the 420 Patients Enrolled in the Stroke Outcome Study from 2001–2002 at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Characteristic
n (%)a

Sex

     Male
234 (55.7)
     Female
186 (44.3)
Age (years)
68.2 ± 13.8
     < 65
138 (32.9)
     65–79
198 (47.1)
     ≥ 80
84 (20.0)
History of previous stroke (n = 418)
109 (26.1)
Length of hospital stay (days)
16.2 ± 21.1
Stroke subtype

     Partial anterior circulation
132 (31.4)
     Lacunar
106 (25.2)
     Posterior circulation
79 (18.8)
     Total anterior circulation
30 (7.1)
     Transient ischemic attack
59 (14.0)
     Uncertain
14 (3.3)
Stroke severity

     Transient ischemic attack
35 (8.4)
     Mild
90 (21.5)
     Moderate
226 (53.9)
     Severe
68 (16.2)
     Unknown
1 (0.002)
Disability at discharge

     Independent
333 (79.3)
     Dependent
87 (20.7)
Cognitive impairment at discharge

     Not impaired
111 (26.4)
     Impaired
84 (20.0)
     Missing
225 (53.6)
Atrial fibrillation (n = 418)
60 (14.4)
Average household income (n = 386)
$55,472 ± 19,370
Total medications prescribedb
6.4 ± 2.6
Total doses taken per dayb
8.6 ± 4.5
Monthly cost of prescription drugsc
$167.10 ± 99.47

aValues expressed as number (%) or mean ± standard deviation, n = 420 unless otherwise noted

bIncludes all prescription and non-prescription medications ordered by a physician at time of discharge

cIncludes only community prescription drug costs at time of discharge excluding pharmacist's professional fees

Lummis et al. BMC Neurology 2008 8:25   doi:10.1186/1471-2377-8-25