Time between onset of deficit and start of treatment may be a critical factor in any acute stroke treatment. In this prospective study, data are reported on delay in hospital admission in 120 consecutive patients with a nondevastating stroke who were transported by the municipal ambulance service. Half of the patients had been admitted by 4 h (median admission delay). Admission delay was divided into patient delay and medical delay. There was no consistent relationship between patient and medical delay in the factors studied. In a multiple regression analysis of clinical variables only time of onset was statistically significantly related to reduction of delay (p