Demographic characteristics and socioeconomic conditions of acute ischemic patients who apply to the emergency service

Objective: To determine the socioeconomic status of patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke who applied to the emergency department in our hospital and to reveal the relationship between low socioeconomic status and stroke severity. Material and Method: In our study, a questionnaire was applied to 65 patients who were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke who applied to the emergency service between April 2019 and January 2020, or their relatives, to determine their socioeconomic status. Age, gender, marital status, education levels, economic levels, economic perceptions, nutritional habits, risk factors, vital signs, NIHSS, arrival time to the emergency room, and routine laboratory tests were created as independent variables. In particular, the relationship between socioeconomic status and education levels and stroke severity was analyzed statistically. Results: A total of 65 patients (mean age 74.1 ± 11.5 years) with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the emergency department were included in the study. It was found that cases with lower education level, working with physical strength and income level below 1500 TL were independently associated with higher NIHSS. Conclusion: Socioeconomic status was found to be related to the severity of stroke. Less education level and low economic level were found to be associated with more severe stroke in acute ischemic stroke patients. It was found that those who worked with physical force had a severe stroke. Keywords: ischemic stroke, socioeconomic status, educational level, NIHSS, physical stregth