Erick J. Martínez-Rodríguez, Departamento de Urgencias Médicas, Hospital Doctor Manuel Gea González, Ciudad de México, México
Mihael J. Rosano-Bernal, Departamento de Urgencias Médicas, Hospital Doctor Manuel Gea González, Ciudad de México, México
Juan P. Venzor-Castellanos, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Neurología, Hospital Doctor Manuel Gea González, Ciudad de México, México
Camilo Ríos, Neurociencias Básicas, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación. Ciudad de México, México
José A. Serrano-Vergara, Departamento de Urgencias Médicas, Hospital Doctor Manuel Gea González, Ciudad de México, México
Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Timely medical care within the first hours after symptom onset is crucial to reduce mortality and improve functional outcomes. However, in settings such as Mexico, multiple factors delay care-seeking, including poor symptom recognition, inappropriate use of the healthcare system, and deficiencies in prehospital care organization. Objective: To evaluate time to seeking medical care and its outcomes in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in a secondary-level hospital, and to identify differences between both groups. Methods: Observational, retrospective, non-experimental study. A total of 156 medical records of patients diagnosed with stroke between January 2024 and May 2025 were analyzed. Variables included stroke type, age, comorbidities, and time from symptom onset to hospital arrival. Results: The mean time to seek medical care was longer in ischemic stroke (25.95 ± 3.39 hours) than in hemorrhagic stroke (16.76 ± 2.41 hours; p = 0.03). No significant age differences were observed (p = 0.16). Only 17.27% of ischemic stroke patients received thrombolysis within the therapeutic window (≤ 4.5 hours). In this group, survivors had shorter delays (21.33 ± 3.23 h) compared to those who died (42.66 ± 9.91 h; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Delayed medical care in stroke remains a significant and multifactorial problem that negatively impacts survival, requiring coordinated efforts among the healthcare system, health professionals, and the community.
Keywords: Cerebral vascular event. Ischemic cerebral vascular event. Hemorrhagic cerebral vascular event. Health system access. Medical care delay. Clinical outcomes.