Stroke admissions and revascularization treatments in Denmark during COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the number of stroke-related admissions and acute treatments during the first two waves of COVID-19 and lockdowns in the Capital Region of Denmark and the Region of Zealand. Materials & Methods: The weekly numbers of admitted patients with stroke were retrieved from electronic patient records from January 2019 to February 2021 and analysed to reveal potential fluctuations in patient volumes during the pandemic. Results: A total of 23,688 patients were included, of whom 2049 patients were treated with tissue-type plasminogen activators (tPA) and 552 underwent endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). We found a transient decrease in the number of weekly admitted patients (pts/week) with all strokes (−9.8 pts/week, 95% CI: −19.4; −0.2, p =.046) and stroke mimics (−30.1 pts/week, 95% CI: −39.9; −20.3, p