Trends in Baseline Patient Characteristics during the Years 1995-2008: Observations from Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register
Background: Reported improvements in outcome in stroke patients treated in hospital are often attributed to advances in stroke care. However, secular trends in patient characteristics that are present already on admission to hospital may also contribute to improved outcome. Methods: Time trends for baseline data (289,854 stroke admittances) in Riks-Stroke, the Swedish national quality register for