Baseline characteristics
| Characteristics | General anaesthesia (N=84) | Non-general anaesthesia (N=146) | P value | Missing, n |
| Age, median (IQR), year | 69 (60–74) | 68 (61–73) | 1.00 | 0 |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 47 (56.0) | 88 (60.3) | 0.52 | 0 |
| Medical history, no. (%) | ||||
| Hypertension | 49 (58.3) | 87 (60.0) | 0.85 | 0 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 16 (19.1) | 27 (18.5) | 0.92 | 0 |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 4 (4.8) | 9 (6.2) | 0.66 | 0 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 23 (27.4) | 34 (23.3) | 0.49 | 0 |
| Ischaemic stroke | 14 (16.7) | 24 (16.4) | 0.96 | 0 |
| Coronary heart disease | 13 (15.5) | 24 (16.4) | 0.85 | 0 |
| NIHSS score (IQR) | 17 (14–20) | 16 (13–19) | 0.12 | 0 |
| ASPECTS value based on CT | ||||
| Median value (IQR) | 3 (3–4) | 3 (3–4) | 0.53 | 0 |
| Distribution, no. (%) | 0.91 | 0 | ||
| 0–2 | 13 (15.5) | 18 (12.3) | ||
| 3 | 36 (42.9) | 63 (43.2) | ||
| 4 | 22 (26.2) | 42 (28.8) | ||
| 5 | 13 (15.5) | 23 (15.8) | ||
| Infarct-core volume, median (IQR), mL | 67.5 (28.5–94) | 56 (30–79) | 0.09 | 0 |
| Penumbra volume, median (IQR), mL | 183 (144–236) | 168 (120–219) | 0.28 | 28 |
| Prestroke mRS, no. (%) | 0.99 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 76 (90.5) | 132 (90.4) | ||
| 1 | 8 (9.5) | 14 (9.6) | ||
| Baseline SBP, median (IQR), mm Hg | 147 (133–168.5) | 143 (128–165) | 0.26 | 0 |
| Admission glucose, median (IQR), mmol/L | 7.3 (6.4–8.6) | 7.1 (6.0–9.2) | 0.51 | 45 |
| Intravenous thrombolysis, no. (%) | 23 (27.4) | 42 (28.8) | 0.82 | 0 |
| Occlusion site, no. (%) | 0.73 | 0 | ||
| ICA | 33 (39.3) | 51 (34.9) | ||
| M1 segment | 50 (59.5) | 94 (64.4) | ||
| M2 segment | 1 (1.2) | 1 (0.7) | ||
| Stroke classification, no. (%) | 0.61 | 0 | ||
| Atherothrombotic | 22 (26.2) | 39 (26.7) | ||
| Cardioembolic | 37 (44.1) | 72 (49.3) | ||
| Undetermined and others | 25 (29.8) | 35 (24.0) | ||
| Interval between onset and hospital arrival, median (IQR), min | 330 (187–649) | 348 (205–627) | 0.86 | 0 |
| Interval between onset and first imaging, median (IQR), min | 433 (239–700) | 391 (252–659) | 0.95 | 0 |
| Onset to randomisation | ||||
| Median (IQR), min | 472 (275–746) | 427 (306–710) | 0.91 | 0 |
| Distribution, no. (%) | 0.56 | 0 | ||
| ＜6 hours | 32 (38.1) | 50 (34.3) | ||
| 6–24 hour | 52 (61.9) | 96 (65.8) | ||
| Interval between onset and puncture, median (IQR), min | 519 (321–786) | 455 (328–774) | 0.78 | 4 |
| Interval between onset and recanalisation, median (IQR), min | 620 (395–890) | 558 (426–835) | 0.80 | 4 |
| Interval between puncture and recanalisation, median (IQR), min | 78 (51.5–104.5) | 72.5 (43-115) | 0.48 | 3 |
| Operative time*, median (IQR), min | 142 (110–182) | 121 (85–172) | 0.03 | 3 |
*Operative time is defined as the difference between ‘the time the patient arrives at the catheterisation room’ and ‘the time the patient leaves the catheterisation room’.
ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT score; ICA, internal carotid artery; M, middle cerebral artery; mRS, modified Rankin scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; SBP, systolic blood pressure.