Profile of Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Patients Receiving Care in A Teaching Hospital of Malaysia

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a health issue of cencern due to its potential
progression to stroke. Information on the profile of individuals with TIA may assist in the prevention strategy of the
condition. However, no studies have published data regarding this. This retrospective study aimed to identify
the socio-demography and disease profile of TIA patients who received care in a Malaysian teaching hospital
and assess the factors correlated with their length of hospital stay (LOS). Methods: A cross sectional study was
carried out using patients’ database from the International Training Center for Casemix, UKM Medical Center.
Data of patients coded as G45.9 (TIA) in the past 5 years (2019-2023) were analysed using descriptive statistics
(for profiles) and Correlation test (for factors of interest). Results: A total of 97 cases were found; of these, 59.8%
(n=58) were males and the remaining were females. The mean age of the patients was 64.27 ± 13.31 years, with
, with a median duration of hospital stay of 5.00 days (IQR: 3.50 days). Besides TIA (G45.9), patients were also
presented with a variety of comorbid conditions including essential (primary) hypertension with 69.07% (n=67),
type 2 diabetes mellitus with kidney complications (44.33%, n=43), and unspecified hyperlipidemia
(53.42%,n=39). In addition, beside TIA, a total of 17.7% (n=17) of patients have 5 additional diseases, 15.5%
(n=15) have 6 other diseases, and 11.3% (n=11) have additional 9 diseases. There is a weak positive correlation
between LOS and age (r = 0.205, p < 0.05), a weak negative correlation between LOS and gender (r = -0.092, p
> 0.05), and a moderate positive correlation between LOS and number of diseases (r = 0.477, p < 0.01).
Conclusion: This study highlights the the importance of addressing comorbidities in the management of
transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. While physical therapists may not typically be involved in the acute
treatment of TIA, they can play a crucial role in rehabilitation and comorbidity management.