Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical differences in intravenous thrombolytic therapy among patients with cerebral infarction transported to the hospital by private cars versus ambulances in Jiaxing, a non-supersized city in China. It also sought to examine the impact of different transportation methods on emergency department arrival times, delays in initiating thrombolytic therapy and final clinical prognosis. The findings aim to provide a basis for optimising emergency treatment protocols and improving outcomes for patients with cerebral infarction. DESIGN: Data on age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, season, time of day (day vs night), modified Rankin Scale scores, door-to-needle time (DNT) and onset-to-needle time (ONT) were retrospectively collected from 808 patients admitted to the emergency department of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University for intravenous thrombolysis between January 2019 and September 2022. The data were analysed and compared. SETTING: A retrospective cohort study conducted in Jiaxing, China. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were DNT and ONT. RESULTS: Among the 808 eligible patients, 279 (34.53%) were transported by ambulance, and 529 (65.47%) arrived by private car. Patients in the private car group were younger on average than those in the ambulance group (aged 64.70 vs 68.41 years). Although ambulance transport resulted in shorter prehospital transportation times (113.89 vs 127.38 min), patients arriving by private car had shorter thrombolytic therapy initiation times (39.90 vs 36.30 min). At admission, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were higher in the ambulance group (4 vs 2), indicating more severe conditions and a greater proportion of patients requiring bridging thrombectomy after thrombolysis (7.53% vs 3.02%). CONCLUSION: In non-supersized cities, private car transportation for acute patients with cerebral infarction may lead to shorter DNT and ONT compared with those in ambulance transport. However, patients transported by ambulance tended to have more severe conditions, highlighting the importance of tailored emergency response strategies.