Table 1 Characteristics of patients by LOS category

Demographics

 Age, mean (SD), y

67.8 (11.9)

70.8 (12.0)

< 0.001

 Female

538 (37.5)

705 (43.6)

0.001

NIHSS at admission

< 0.001

  ≤ 5

1003 (69.9)

553 (34.2)

 6–10

290 (20.2)

421 (26.0)

 11–15

49 (3.4)

205 (12.7)

 16–20

32 (2.2)

163 (10.1)

  > 20

61 (4.3)

277 (17.1)

 Median (IQR)

4 (2-6)

8 (4-16)

< 0.001

Stroke mechanism

< 0.001

 Large artery atherosclerosis

252 (17.6)

515 (31.8)

 Cardioembolism

127 (8.9)

303 (18.7)

 Small-vessel occlusion

717 (50.0)

397 (24.5)

 Specific etiology

11 (0.8)

30 (1.9)

 Undetermined etiology

328 (22.9)

374 (23.1)

Medical conditions

 Hypertension

1133 (79.0)

1328 (82.0)

0.032

 Diabetes mellitus

584 (40.7)

750 (46.3)

0.002

 Hyperlipidemia

837 (58.3)

883 (54.5)

0.035

 Prior stroke

380 (26.5)

547 (33.8)

< 0.001

 Atrial fibrillation

188 (13.1)

372 (23.0)

< 0.001

 Coronary heart disease

176 (12.3)

241 (14.9)

0.035

 Congestive heart failure

56 (3.9)

118 (7.3)

< 0.001

 Malignancy

75 (5.2)

111 (6.9)

0.060

 Uremia on dialysis

22 (1.5)

36 (2.2)

0.163

 Current smoker

369 (25.7)

351 (21.7)

0.009

 Dependent (mRS ≥ 3) before admission

107 (7.5)

266 (16.4)

< 0.001

Prior medication use

 Antiplatelet

352 (24.5)

446 (27.6)

0.058

 Oral anticoagulant

38 (2.7)

49 (3.0)

0.530

 Leukocytosis (> 10 × 10⁹ cells/L) at admission

215 (15.0)

398 (24.6)

< 0.001

 Intravenous thrombolysis

83 (5.8)

123 (7.6)

0.046

Complications

 Pneumonia

16 (1.1)

239 (14.8)

< 0.001

 Urinary tract infection

35 (2.4)

212 (13.1)

< 0.001

 Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

22 (1.5)

171 (10.6)

< 0.001

 Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage

4 (0.3)

37 (2.3)

< 0.001

mRS ≥ 3 at discharge

488 (34.0)

1279 (79)

< 0.001

Mortality at discharge

46 (3.2)

45 (2.8)

0.489