Baseline characteristics for the FPE and non-FPE groups
| Variable | FPE (n=91) | Non-FPE (n=81) | P Value* |
| Demographics | |||
| Age, mean (SD) | 68.4 (11.9) | 67.7 (14.3) | 0.70 |
| Sex, male, n (%) | 43 (47.3%) | 33 (40.7%) | 0.39 |
| Vascular risk factors, n (%) | |||
| Hypertension | 66 (72.5%) | 57 (70.4%) | 0.75 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 32 (35.2%) | 38 (46.9%) | 0.12 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 16 (17.6%) | 17 (21.0%) | 0.57 |
| Dyslipidemia | 38 (41.8%) | 37 (45.7%) | 0.61 |
| Smoking | 19 (20.9%) | 21 (25.9%) | 0.43 |
| Previous MI/CAD | 23 (25.3%) | 11 (13.6%) | 0.06 |
| Previous stroke | 16 (17.6%) | 13 (16.0%) | 0.79 |
| Clinical presentation, median (IQR) | |||
| Baseline NIHSS score | 16 (11–19) | 16 (13–20) | 0.40 |
| Baseline systolic BP, mm Hg† | 144 (130–158) | 148 (134–158) | 0.31 |
| Baseline diastolic BP, mm Hg† | 80 (70–91) | 81 (72–93) | 0.29 |
| Occlusion location, n (%) | |||
| Internal carotid artery | 14 (15.4%) | 13 (16.0%) | 0.90 |
| M1 middle cerebral artery | 48 (52.7%) | 46 (56.8%) | 0.60 |
| M2 middle cerebral artery | 22 (24.2%) | 20 (24.7%) | 0.94 |
| Posterior | 7 (7.7%) | 2 (2.5%) | 0.17 |
| Procedural factors | |||
| Time from onset to puncture (min), median (IQR) | 214 (161–263) | 220 (153–270) | 0.54 |
| General anesthesia, n (%) | 33 (36.3%) | 25 (30.9%) | 0.46 |
| IV tPA use, n (%) | 59 (64.8%) | 56 (69.1%) | 0.55 |
| Balloon guide catheter use, n (%) | 71 (78.0%) | 60 (74.1%) | 0.54 |
| Intermediate catheter use, n (%) | 20 (22.0%) | 41 (50.6%) | <0.01 |
*P values presented for t-test beside means, Wilcoxon rank sum (Mann-Whitney) test beside medians, and chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests beside proportions.
†Four patients missing data for systolic and diastolic BP.
BP, blood pressure; CAD, coronary artery disease; FPE, first-pass effect; IQR, interquartile range; IV, intravenous; MI, myocardial infarction; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; SD, standard deviation; tPA, tissue plasminogen activator.