Baseline characteristics of the included studies
| Feature | BGC (No.) (%) | Non-BGC (No.) (%) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline characteristics | ||||
| Mean age (yr) | 68.2 (SD, 14.2)/2796 | 69.7 (SD, 14.0)/2711 | <.001 | |
| Sex (female) | 1318/2748 (48.0) | 1314/2672 (49.2) | .37 | |
| IV t-PA | 1598/2748 (58.2) | 1487/2672 (55.7) | .06 | |
| Baseline NIHSS (mean) | 16.3 (SD, 8.1)/2646 | 16.2 (SD, 8.8)/2591 | .67 | |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Atrial fibrillation | 1064/2369 (44.9) | 755/1972 (38.3) | <.001 | |
| Hypertension | 1600/2516 (63.6) | 1533/2346 (65.3) | .20 | |
| Diabetes | 561/2516 (22.3) | 544/2346 (23.2) | .46 | |
| Coronary artery disease | 407/1891 (21.5) | 388/1883 (20.6) | .49 | |
| Dyslipidemia | 909/2516 (36.1) | 798/2346 (34.0) | .12 | |
| Smoking | 770/2492 (30.9) | 673/2308 (29.2) | .19 | |
| Localization | ||||
| Tandem occlusions | 136/1305 (10.4) | 136/1423 (9.6) | .45 | |
| Distal ICA | 716/2621 (27.3) | 581/2604 (22.3) | <.001 | |
| M1 segment | 1169/1976 (59.1) | 1026/1776 (57.7) | .39 | |
| M2 segment | 255/1918 (13.3) | 256/1703 (15.0) | .13 | |
| Unspecified MCA segment | 492/740 (66.5) | 384/884 (43.4) | <.001 | |
| Periprocedural | ||||
| Onset to arterial puncture (min) | 278.1 (SD, 171.7)/2563 | 280.3 (SD, 162.4)/2279 | .65 | |
| General anesthesia | 432/1705 (25.3) | 391/1677 (23.3) | .17 | |
| Distal access catheter use | 35/827 (4.2) | 124/763 (16.3) | <.001 | |
| Intra-arterial thrombolysis | 149/1389 (10.7) | 191/1185 (16.1) | <.001 | |
Note:—BGC indicates balloon guide catheter.