Serum GFAP for stroke diagnosis in regions with limited access to brain imaging (BE FAST India).

Introduction: Despite a high burden of stroke, access to rapid brain imaging is limited in many middle- and low-income countries. Previous studies have described the astroglial protein GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) as a biomarker of intracerebral hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to test the diagnostic accuracy of GFAP for ruling out intracranial hemorrhage in a prospective cohort of Indian stroke patients.

Rural Stroke Surveillance and Establishment of Acute Stroke Care Pathway Using Frontline Health Workers in Rural Northwest India: The Ludhiana Experience.

Background And Purpose: The role of community health workers (CHWs) in stroke surveillance and in establishing the stroke care pathway has not been studied. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of using CHWs in the public health system to identify stroke patients for population-based stroke registration and to study the establishment of acute stroke care pathway in rural areas of Ludhiana, Punjab, Northwest India.

Methods: Two rural blocks in Ludhiana district, comprising 164 villages and a population of 259,778, were selected.