Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Stroke is one of the most important diseases causing severe disability and death. The incidence of ischemic stroke increases with advancing age.This study aims to identify the etiologic, epidemiological, demographic and clinical features of acute ischemic stroke patients and to contribute to acute stroke data in our country.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study. We reviewed the hospital records of 200 patients who were admitted with acute ischemic stroke between January 2016 and December 2016.
RESULTS:Of the patients, 52% were female (n: 104) and mean age of the study group was 68.36±16.2 (23-97). Only 53 patients (%26.5) had applied to the emergency department after four and a half hours after the onset of the symptoms. In medical history of the patients, 62.5% (n:125) had hypertension, 27% (n: 54) had diabetes mellitus, 14.5% (n: 29) had coronary artery disease, and 11% (n: 22) had atrial fibrillation. The mortality rate was found to be 10.5% in patients who were followed up in the neurology clinic.
CONCLUSION: Hypertension and diabetes are the most important risk factors. Patients mostly apply to the emergency departments lately. Although the results of the present study have parallels with those of previous studies, the most important problem is the low rate of patients who apply to the emergency department within the first 4.5 hours which is called golden window period.

Key words: Acute ischemic stroke, risk factors, arrival time to the emergency department