Racial Disparity In Outcomes Of Acute Ischemic Stroke In The United States: A 20-year Analysis Of The National Inpatient Sample From 2000-2019

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to characterize racial disparities in patients with AIS over a 20 year period and examine the prognostic impact of race on functional outcomes. Methods: A query of the 2000-2019 National Inpatient Sample was performed for patients admitted with AIS (ICD9 433, 43401, 43411, 43491, ICD-10 I63). Demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes were identified. Discharge location was used as a surrogate for functional outcome. Univariate analysis with t-tests or chi-square performed as appropriate, and significant variables were entered into a multivariate regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (AOR)/β-coefficients for race on outcomes. Significance set at an alpha level of <0.001. All analysis performed in R version 4.1.3. Results: A total of 10,415,286 patients with AIS were identified. Mean Age was 70.91±13.8 years. Patients were 61% White, 14.3 % Black, 6.6% Hispanic, and 2.4% Asian. Average NIH Stroke Scale differed significantly among the groups, with Asian patients having more severe disease than White, Black, or Hispanic patients (p<0.001). After multivariate analysis, Black patients had worse odds for discharge home than white patients (AOR 0.8, 95%CI: 0.77-0.83, p<0.001) with a higher likelihood of discharge to nursing/long-term care facilities (AOR 1.3, 95%CI: 1.26-1.34, p<0.001). In hospital mortality was less in Black (AOR 0.64, 95%CI: 0.58-0.7) and Hispanic (AOR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69-0.87) patients (p<0.001). Conclusions: This 20 year nationally representative analysis of racial disparities in patients with AIS shows that while Black patients have worse odds of discharge home, they are less likely than White patients to die in the hospital. White patients make up the majority of cases, but their percentage of total AIS cases decreased while Black patients increased over the twenty year study period.