Abstract TMP82: National Stroke Registry is Feasible and Improves Stroke Care and Training in Nigeria: A Pilot Experience

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rufus Akinyemi ◽  
Philip Adebayo ◽  
Lukman Owolabi ◽  
Reginald Obiako ◽  
Kolawole Wahab ◽  
...  

Introduction: There is data - driven evidence showing that stroke registries improve tracking, documentation and the quality of care for acute stroke patients in centres across all continents except Africa where data is lacking. We report findings from a pilot multi - centre stroke registry in Nigeria. Methods: A World Federation of Neurology/World Stroke Organization (WFN/WSO) supported stroke training programme collaborated with NIH - funded Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) Project to develop a web-based multicenter acute stroke registry in 13 tertiary hospitals across Nigeria. All suspected cases of stroke were recorded in a Stroke Log and CT- confirmed cases were entered into a case report form and a web-based platform (RedCAP). A one hour focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted among 7 site neurologists to evaluate the impact of the pilot programme on stroke care and training. Results: Over a 21 month period (October 2014 - June 2016), 1686 suspected cases of stroke were logged into the stroke log while 1391 brain - CT confirmed cases of stroke were logged onto RedCAP. Across all sites; mean age(SD) was 60.1 (14.2) years, 57.1% male, 78.9% had at least primary education, 67.5%, 31.0% and 1.5% had ischemic, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic transformation respectively, 51.8% were admitted with severe stroke, hypertension was the dominant risk factor (78.7% of cases) and 21.8% died within 7 days. An FGD to evaluate impact showed improved stroke awareness, better CT rate, reduced time to CT, reduced short term mortality, improved training and competence of interns and residents, development of stroke multidisciplinary teams and better job satisfaction among site neurologists. Conclusion: A pilot multicenter national stroke registry is feasible and improves stroke care, training and neurologist job satisfaction in Nigeria.

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Daggett ◽  
Linda Williams ◽  
Nicholas Burrus ◽  
Jennifer Myers ◽  
Laura Plue ◽  
...  

Objectives: High quality stroke care is complex, and requires strong multidisciplinary teams, including nurses, to ensure care processes are timely and appropriate. The purpose of this study was to identify training needs of nurses who deliver care to patients who present with acute stroke and are admitted to inpatient units. Methodology: Using semi-structured interviews, we conducted a qualitative study for a formative evaluation in 12 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) that had ≥ 50 acute ischemic stroke admissions a year and were diverse in the structure of stroke care. The interviews focused on current context and structure of stroke care, including educational practices and training needs. Secondary analyses were conducted, targeting frontline nurse and physician respondents (N = 113) in emergency, acute care and rehabilitation units. Results: Respondents across the sites reported insufficient nurse education and training for acute stroke care as an overarching theme. Moreover, themes related to the acute stroke care quality indicators emerged as areas of competencies that nurses needed training on a continuum: a) timely recognition of acute stroke and transient ischemic attacks, b) NIH Stroke Scale and neurological exams, c) dysphagia screening, d) administration of tissue plasminogen activator and management post treatment, and e) deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. Themes that were related to structure of stroke care and/or context also emerged and attributed to training challenges across the sites, listed in order of prevalence: a) centralized care versus decentralized care, b) low volume of acute strokes, c) nurse engagement, d) structured acute stroke care education, and e) release time. Conclusions: VA stroke care providers identify educational needs around specific stroke quality indicators, but also describe key barriers including lower volume, time for training and engagement of nursing staff in acute stroke care. Future programs to improve VA stroke care need to address these barriers to optimally support high quality multidisciplinary stroke care.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anna Ramos-Pachón ◽  
Álvaro García-Tornel ◽  
Mònica Millán ◽  
Marc Ribó ◽  
Sergi Amaro ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant healthcare reorganizations, potentially striking standard medical care. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke care quality and clinical outcomes to detect healthcare system’s bottlenecks from a territorial point of view. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Crossed-data analysis between a prospective nation-based mandatory registry of acute stroke, Emergency Medical System (EMS) records, and daily incidence of COVID-19 in Catalonia (Spain). We included all stroke code activations during the pandemic (March 15–May 2, 2020) and an immediate prepandemic period (January 26–March 14, 2020). Primary outcomes were stroke code activations and reperfusion therapies in both periods. Secondary outcomes included clinical characteristics, workflow metrics, differences across types of stroke centers, correlation analysis between weekly EMS alerts, COVID-19 cases, and workflow metrics, and impact on mortality and clinical outcome at 90 days. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Stroke code activations decreased by 22% and reperfusion therapies dropped by 29% during the pandemic period, with no differences in age, stroke severity, or large vessel occlusion. Calls to EMS were handled 42 min later, and time from onset to hospital arrival increased by 53 min, with significant correlations between weekly COVID-19 cases and more EMS calls (rho = 0.81), less stroke code activations (rho = −0.37), and longer prehospital delays (rho = 0.25). Telestroke centers were afflicted with higher reductions in stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, referrals to endovascular centers, and increased delays to thrombolytics. The independent odds of death increased (OR 1.6 [1.05–2.4], <i>p</i> 0.03) and good functional outcome decreased (mRS ≤2 at 90 days: OR 0.6 [0.4–0.9], <i>p</i> 0.015) during the pandemic period. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catalonia’s stroke system’s weakest points were the delay to EMS alert and a decline of stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, and interhospital transfers, mostly at local centers. Patients suffering an acute stroke during the pandemic period had higher odds of poor functional outcome and death. The complete stroke care system’s analysis is crucial to allocate resources appropriately.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dileep R Yavagal ◽  
Vasu Saini ◽  
Violiza Inoa ◽  
Hannah E Gardener ◽  
Sheila O Martins ◽  
...  

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the healthcare systems across the world but its impact on acute stroke care is just being elucidated. We hypothesized a major global impact of COVID-19 not only on stroke volumes but also on thrombectomy practice. Methods: A 19-item questionnaire survey aimed to identify the changes in stroke volumes and treatment practices seen during COVID-19 pandemic was designed using Qualtrics software. It was sent to stroke and neuro-interventional physicians around the world who are part of the executive committee of a global coalition, Mission Thrombectomy 2020 (MT2020) between April 5 th to May 15 th , 2020. Results: There were 113 responses across 25 countries. Globally there was a median 33% decrease in stroke admissions and a 25% decrease in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) procedures during COVID-19 pandemic compared to immediately preceding months (Figure 1A-B). This overall median decrease was despite a median increase in stroke volume in 4 European countries which diverted all stroke patients to only a few selected centers during the pandemic. The intubation policy during the pandemic for patients undergoing MT was highly variable across participating centers: 44% preferred intubating all patients, including 25% centers that changed their policy to preferred-intubation (PI) vs 27% centers that switched to preferred-conscious-sedation (PCS). There was no significant difference in rate of COVID-19 infection between PI vs PCS (p=0.6) or if intubation policy was changed in either direction (p=1). Low-volume (<10 stroke/month) compared with high-volume stroke centers (>20 strokes/month) are less likely to have neurointerventional suite specific written personal protective equipment protocols (74% vs 88%) and if present, these centers are more likely to report them to be inadequate (58% vs 92%). Conclusion: Our data provides a comprehensive snapshot of the impact on acute stroke care observed worldwide during the pandemic.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul G. Nogueira ◽  
Jason M. Davies ◽  
Rishi Gupta ◽  
Ameer E. Hassan ◽  
Thomas Devlin ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose: The degree to which the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected systems of care, in particular, those for time-sensitive conditions such as stroke, remains poorly quantified. We sought to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in the overall screening for acute stroke utilizing a commercial clinical artificial intelligence platform. Methods: Data were derived from the Viz Platform, an artificial intelligence application designed to optimize the workflow of patients with acute stroke. Neuroimaging data on suspected patients with stroke across 97 hospitals in 20 US states were collected in real time and retrospectively analyzed with the number of patients undergoing imaging screening serving as a surrogate for the amount of stroke care. The main outcome measures were the number of computed tomography (CT) angiography, CT perfusion, large vessel occlusions (defined according to the automated software detection), and severe strokes on CT perfusion (defined as those with hypoperfusion volumes >70 mL) normalized as number of patients per day per hospital. Data from the prepandemic (November 4, 2019 to February 29, 2020) and pandemic (March 1 to May 10, 2020) periods were compared at national and state levels. Correlations were made between the inter-period changes in imaging screening, stroke hospitalizations, and thrombectomy procedures using state-specific sampling. Results: A total of 23 223 patients were included. The incidence of large vessel occlusion on CT angiography and severe strokes on CT perfusion were 11.2% (n=2602) and 14.7% (n=1229/8328), respectively. There were significant declines in the overall number of CT angiographies (−22.8%; 1.39–1.07 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) and CT perfusion (−26.1%; 0.50–0.37 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) as well as in the incidence of large vessel occlusion (−17.1%; 0.15–0.13 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) and severe strokes on CT perfusion (−16.7%; 0.12–0.10 patients/day per hospital, P <0.005). The sampled cohort showed similar declines in the rates of large vessel occlusions versus thrombectomy (18.8% versus 19.5%, P =0.9) and comprehensive stroke center hospitalizations (18.8% versus 11.0%, P =0.4). Conclusions: A significant decline in stroke imaging screening has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis underscores the broader application of artificial intelligence neuroimaging platforms for the real-time monitoring of stroke systems of care.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D Streib ◽  
Oladi Bentho ◽  
Kathryn Bard ◽  
Eric Jaton ◽  
Sarah Engkjer ◽  
...  

Introduction: Limited access to stroke specialist expertise produces disparities in inpatient stroke treatment. The impact of telestroke on the remote delivery of guideline-based inpatient stroke care is yet to be comprehensively studied. The TELECAST trial (NCT03672890) prospectively examined the impact of a 24-7 telestroke specialist service dedicated to inpatient acute stroke care spanning admission to discharge. Methods: AHA stroke guidelines were used to derive outcome metrics in the following acute stroke inpatient care categories: diagnostic stroke evaluation (DSE), secondary stroke prevention (SSP), health screening and evaluation (HSE), and stroke education (SE). Adherence to AHA guidelines for stroke inpatients pre-telestroke (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2018) and post-telestroke intervention (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019) were studied. The primary outcome was a composite score of all guideline-based stroke care. Secondary outcomes consisted of subcategory composite scores in DSE, SSP, HSE, and SE. Chi-squared tests were utilized to assess primary and secondary outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 15.0. Results: Following institution of a comprehensive inpatient telestroke service, overall adherence to guideline-based metrics improved (composite score: 85% vs 94%, p<0.01) as did adherence to DSE guidelines (subgroup score: 90 vs 95%, p<0.01). SSP, HSE, and SE subgroup scores were not significantly different. See Table 1. Conclusion: The implementation of a 24-7 inpatient telestroke service improved adherence to AHA guidelines for inpatient acute stroke care. Dedicated inpatient telestroke specialist coverage may improve inpatient stroke care and reduce stroke recurrence in hospitals without access to stroke specialists.


Stroke ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Warner Gargano ◽  
Susan Wehner ◽  
Mathew Reeves

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1076-1079
Author(s):  
Ganesh Asaithambi ◽  
Xin Tong ◽  
Kamakshi Lakshminarayan ◽  
Sallyann M Coleman King ◽  
Mary G George

BackgroundRates of intra-arterial revascularization treatments (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are increasing in the USA. Using a multi-state stroke registry, we studied the trend in IAT use among patients with AIS over a period spanning 11 years. We examined the impact of IAT rates on hospital procedure volumes and patient outcome after stroke.MethodsWe used data from the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program (PCNASP) and explored trends in IAT between 2008 and 2018. Patient outcomes were examined by rates of IAT procedures across hospitals. Specifically, outcomes were compared across low-volume (<15 IAT per year), medium-volume (15–30 IAT per year), and high-volume hospitals (>30 IAT per year). Favorable outcome was defined as discharge to home.ResultsThere were 612 958 patients admitted with AIS to 687 participating hospitals within the PCNASP during this study. Only 2.9% of patients (mean age 68.5 years, 49.3% women) received IAT. The percent of patients with AIS receiving IAT increased from 1% in 2008 to 5.3% in 2018 (p<0.001). The proportion of low-volume hospitals decreased over time (p<0.001), and the proportions of medium-volume (p=0.007) and high-volume hospitals (p<0.001) increased between 2008 and 2018. When compared with medium-volume hospitals, high-volume hospitals had a higher (p<0.0001) and low-volume hospitals had a lower (p<0.0001) percent of patients discharged to home.ConclusionHigh-volume hospitals were associated with a higher rate of favorable outcome. With the increased use of IAT among patients with AIS, the proportion of low-volume hospitals performing IAT significantly decreased.


2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (e7) ◽  
pp. A12.3-A13
Author(s):  
Khaled Alanati ◽  
James Evans

IntroductionAdherence to key performance indicators (KPIs) in stroke care is associated with better outcomes.1–6 The complexity in management of acute strokes, however, has created barriers towards delivering best care with plateauing of KPIs as measured by The National Stroke Foundation Clinical Audit.We examined the impact on stroke KPIs in our local health district of a web-based decision support stroke platform which provides clinicians with up-to-date information about the patient’s management flagging potential areas for improvement, allowing treatment to be optimised in real time.MethodsSix months following the introduction of the platform we performed a retrospective analysis of Electronic medical records of patients admitted to Gosford hospital with acute stroke between June 2018 and September 2018 assessing access to the stroke unit as well as being discharged on appropriate secondary prophylactics, including antihypertensives and correct antithrombotic therapy. Patients whose direction of care was palliative and patients with documented contraindication to secondary prophylactics were excluded.ResultsOver four months, 136 patients presented with acute ischaemic stroke and 11 patients had a haemorrhagic stroke. 49 ischaemic stroke patients had atrial fibrillation. Stroke unit access was higher following its introduction in 2018 compared to 2017 (97% vs 76%, respectively). Similar findings were noted for patients with atrial fibrillation who received oral anticoagulants on discharge (90% vs 50%) and patients discharged on antihypertensives (95% vs 80%).ConclusionUse of a clinical support platform in managing acute stroke is an intervention that improves stroke care.ReferencesUrimubenshi G, Langhorne P, Cadilhac DA, Kagwiza JN, Wu O. Association between patient outcomes and key performance indicators of stroke care quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Stroke Journal 2017;2(4):287–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/2396987317735426Sandercock P, Gubitz G, Foley P. Antiplatelet therapy for acute ischaemic stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;2: CD000029. Google ScholarKwan J, Sandercock P. In-hospital care pathways for stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev2004;4: CD002924. Google ScholarSaxena R, Koudstaal PJ. Anticoagulants for preventing stroke in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation and a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;4: CD000187. Google ScholarGoyal M, Menon BK, van Zwam WH. Endovascular thrombectomy after large-vessel ischaemic stroke: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from five randomised trial. Lancet 2016;387:1723–1731. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISIMiddleton S, McElduff P, Ward J. Implementation of evidence-based treatment protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia, and swallowing dysfunction in acute stroke (QASC): a cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2011;378:1699–1706. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI


Stroke ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 2765-2770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Mosley ◽  
Marcus Nicol ◽  
Geoffrey Donnan ◽  
Ian Patrick ◽  
Fergus Kerr ◽  
...  

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