Emergency department or general practitioner following transient ischaemic attack? A comparison of patient behaviour and speed of assessment in England and Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Many patients present late after a transient ischaemic attack (TIA). This delays intervention and may partly depend on where patients first present--emergency department (ED) or general practitioner (GP). Studying this behaviour could improve stroke prevention through better targeting of public education and allocation of resources.

METHODS: Patients with TIA or minor stroke referred to neurovascular clinics in the UK and Canada were studied and the delay from onset to first medical presentation, whether at an ED or GP, was measured. Clinical features, timing and place of presentation were compared.

RESULTS: Of 666 patients (469 in the UK and 197 in Canada), only 42% presented on the day of the TIA. The majority (77%) of patients presenting to an ED presented on the same day compared with only 11% of those who presented to a GP. GP delays were longer at weekends. Motor or speech symptoms and prolonged duration were associated with presenting early and to an ED. High-risk patients (ABCD2 score 6-7) in Canada were also more likely to go to an ED. Overall, 65% of Canadian patients and 40% of UK patients went to an ED.

CONCLUSIONS: Most patients presenting to an ED go urgently, whereas most going to a GP delay, particularly at weekends. Most Canadian patients, particularly those at high risk, go to an ED whereas most UK patients go to a GP. One way to reduce delay, particularly in the UK, would be to direct all patients with TIA to go to an ED rather than to their GP.