Co-Designed Cardiac Rehabilitation for the Secondary Prevention of Stroke (CARESS): A Pilot Program Evaluation.

Structured health system-based programs, such as cardiac rehabilitation, may reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. This study aimed to co-design and evaluate a structured program of rehabilitation, developed based on insights from focus groups involving stroke survivors and health professionals. Conducted in Tasmania, Australia in 2019, the 7-week program comprised one hour of group exercise and one hour of education each week.

Effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on the Quality of Stroke Care in Stroke Units and Alternative Wards: A National Comparative Analysis.

Background And Purpose: Changes to hospital systems were implemented from March 2020 in Australia in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, including decreased resources allocated to stroke units. We investigate changes in the quality of acute care for patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack during the pandemic according to patients' treatment setting (stroke unit or alternate ward).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted with stroke or transient ischemic attack between January 2019 and June 2020 in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR).

Regional differences in the care and outcomes of acute stroke patients in Australia: an observational study using evidence from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR).

Objective: To compare the processes and outcomes of care in patients who had a stroke treated in urban versus rural hospitals in Australia.

Design: Observational study using data from a multicentre national registry.

Setting: Data from 50 acute care hospitals in Australia (25 urban, 25 rural) which participated in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry during the period 2010-2015.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Care for Stroke in Australia: Emerging Evidence From the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry.

We present information on acute stroke care for the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia using data from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR). The first case of COVID-19 in Australia was recorded in late January 2020 and national restrictions to control the virus commenced in March. To account for seasonal effects of stroke admissions, patient-level data from the registry from January to June 2020 were compared to the same period in 2019 (historical-control) from 61 public hospitals.

Sex Differences in Causes of Death After Stroke: Evidence from a National, Prospective Registry.

We examined sex differences in cause of death and cause-specific excess mortality after stroke. First-ever strokes (2010-2013; 35 hospitals) participating in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry were linked to national death registrations and other administrative datasets. One-year cause-specific mortality was categorized as stroke, ischemic heart disease, other cardiovascular disease (CVD; , hypertension), cancer, and other.

Regional differences in access to acute ischaemic stroke care and patient outcomes.

Background: Advances in stroke management such as acute stroke units and thrombolysis are not uniformly distributed throughout our population, with rural areas being relatively disadvantaged. It remains unclear, however, whether such disparities have led to corresponding differences in patient outcomes.

Aims: To describe the regional differences in acute ischaemic stroke care and outcomes within the Australian state of Tasmania.

Sex Differences in Care and Long-Term Mortality After Stroke: Australian Stroke Clinical Registry.

There is some evidence that women receive evidence-based care less often than men, but how this influences long-term mortality after stroke is unclear. We explored this issue using data from a national stroke registry. Data are first-ever hospitalized strokes (2010-2014) in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry from 39 hospitals linked to the national death registrations.

Fatal reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

We report four fatal cases of fulminant reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, all initially diagnosed as primary central nervous system vasculitis and treated with corticosteroids. Although reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is usually self-limiting without permanent neurologic deficits, rarely it can be fatal and worse outcomes have been associated with corticosteroid treatment.

Treatment and Outcomes of Working Aged Adults with Stroke: Results from a National Prospective Registry.

Background: Given the potential differences in etiology and impact, the treatment and outcome of younger patients (aged 18-64 years) require examination separately to older adults (aged ≥65 years) who experience acute stroke.

Methods: Data from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (2010-2015) including demographic and clinical characteristics, provision of evidence-based therapies and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) post-stroke was used. Descriptive statistics and multilevel regression models were used for group comparisons.

Risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates for stroke: evidence from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR).

Objectives: Hospital data used to assess regional variability in disease management and outcomes, including mortality, lack information on disease severity. We describe variance between hospitals in 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rates (RAMRs) for stroke, comparing models that include or exclude stroke severity as a covariate.

Design: Cohort design linking Australian Stroke Clinical Registry data with national death registrations.

Quality of Acute Care and Long-Term Quality of Life and Survival: The Australian Stroke Clinical Registry.

Background And Purpose: Uncertainty exists over whether quality improvement strategies translate into better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival after acute stroke. We aimed to determine the association of best practice recommended interventions and outcomes after stroke.

Methods: Data are from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry during 2010 to 2014.