Activating knowledge for patient safety practices: a Canadian academic-policy partnership.

Background: Over the past decade, the need for healthcare delivery systems to identify and address patient safety issues has been propelled to the forefront. A Canadian survey, for example, demonstrated patient safety to be a major concern of frontline nurses (Nicklin & McVeety 2002). Three crucial patient safety elements, current knowledge, resources, and context of care have been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO 2009).

Boosting enrollment in neurology trials with Local Identification and Outreach Networks (LIONs).

Objective: Our purpose was to develop a geographically localized, multi-institution strategy for improving enrolment in a trial of secondary stroke prevention.

Methods: We invited 11 Connecticut hospitals to participate in a project named the Local Identification and Outreach Network (LION). Each hospital provided the names of patients with stroke or TIA, identified from electronic admission or discharge logs, to researchers at a central coordinating center.

Prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance following a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke.

Background: Despite current preventive therapies, patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stroke remain at high risk for recurrent brain disease and cardiovascular events. In an effort to develop new therapies, abnormal glucose tolerance has recently been proposed as an interventional target. Among persons not otherwise known to be diabetic, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetic glucose tolerance (DGT) are each associated with an increased risk for incident vascular disease, vascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality.

Impaired insulin sensitivity among nondiabetic patients with a recent TIA or ischemic stroke.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of impaired insulin sensitivity among nondiabetic patients with a recent TIA or nondisabling ischemic stroke.

Methods: Eligible subjects were nondiabetic men and women over age 45 years who were hospitalized with a TIA or ischemic stroke. To measure insulin sensitivity, subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test between 2 and 6 months after their event.

Pioglitazone improves insulin sensitivity among nondiabetic patients with a recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pioglitazone compared with placebo for improving insulin sensitivity among nondiabetic patients with a recent transient ischemic attack (TIA) or nondisabling ischemic stroke and impaired insulin sensitivity.

Methods: Eligible subjects were men and women >45 years of age who had no history of diabetes, fasting glucose <7.0 mmol/L, and impaired insulin sensitivity according to an index calculated from insulin and glucose blood levels obtained during an oral glucose tolerance test.