Development of an acute ischemic stroke management course for hospital physicians in emergency departments and intensive care units.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a training course on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for hospital physicians, part of a regional strategy on AIS patient care. The course comprised an initial self-study (e-Learning) stage and 1-day theoretical-practical course on initial AIS management for Critical Care and Emergency physicians in the Andalusian Health Service (Spain). Data were collected on regional implementation of the stroke code and intravenous thrombolysis treatment.

Influence of extravascular lung water determination in fluid and vasoactive therapy.

Introduction: Preload parameters in postresuscitation phase are not sufficiently sensitive to guide fluid therapy in critically ill patients. We analyzed modifications in the fluid therapy and vasoactive drugs of critically ill patients that were produced by inclusion of extravascular lung water (EVLW) data in the treatment protocol and evaluated the short-term response.

Methods: This observational and prospective study included consecutive patients with hypotension or hypoxemia, comparing the therapeutic plan for fluid and vasoactive drug treatment between before and after knowing the EVLW value.

[Improving the outcomes in spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage: the EHSA project].

Aim: To investigate our clinical practices with the aim of identifying opportunities to improve the medico-surgical management of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhages (SAH). PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted of the cases of SAH attended consecutively in the critical care and emergency services in 29 public hospitals in Andalusia over a period of 20 months, between the years 2000 and 2002. SAH were considered to be acute haemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents diagnosed as such by imaging.