Root causes behind patient safety incidents in the emergency department and suggestions for improving patient safety - an analysis in a Finnish teaching hospital.

Background: Adverse events occur frequently at emergency departments (ED) because of several risk factors related to varying conditions. It is still unclear, which factors lead to patient safety incident reports. The aim of this study was to explore the root causes behind ED-associated patient safety incidents reported by personnel, and based on the findings, to suggest learning objectives for improving patient safety.

The Finnish Prehospital Stroke Scale Detects Thrombectomy and Thrombolysis Candidates-A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Background: Prehospital stroke triage is challenged by endovascular treatment for large vessel occlusion (LVO) being available only in major stroke centers. Conjugate eye deviation (CED) is closely related to LVO, whereas common stroke signs (face-arm-leg-speech-visual) screen stroke. We hypothesized that combining CED with common stroke signs would yield a prehospital stroke scale for identifying both LVO and stroke in general.

Emergency medicine residents in the implementation of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Traditionally, neurologists have been in charge of thrombolytic treatment of ischemic stroke. In 2013, emergency medicine residents started working in the frontline at the Central Hospital of Central Finland (CHCF). They were trained to evaluate and give thrombolytic treatment to acute ischemic stroke patients out of hours, with the possibility of consulting a neurologist.

[Update on current care guideline: atrial fibrillation].

The prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) are increasing rapidly. Key recommendations in management of AF include prompt administration of oral anticoagulation to all patients with elevated risk of thromboembolic complications, proper use of antiarrhythmic drugs and invasive therapies in highly symptomatic patients and adequate rate control in patients with permanent AF. The selection between warfarin and the novel oral anticoagulants (apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban) is based on careful evaluation of the benefits and disadvantages of the drugs in a given patient.

[Assessment of risk of cerebral infarction and benefit of anticoagulant therapy in a patient with atrial fibrillation].

The risk of cerebral infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation varies from 0.5% to more than 10% per year. Anticoagulant therapy is recommended today more than before, but to a low-risk patient anticoagulation may cause harm that is larger than the expected benefit.