Access to acute stroke care: A retrospective descriptive analysis of stroke patients' journey to a district hospital.

Introduction: The burden of stroke in Africa has increased in the last two decades, with the population undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition, with a rise in the incidence of stroke risk factors together with the gradual aging of the population. Evidence-based guidelines for acute stroke care are often not feasible in resource challenged settings but even when resources are available, considerable delays to definitive care exists. This study aims to describe the factors that influence time from symptom onset to hospital arrival in patients that present to a district level hospital Emergency Centre with confirmed ischaemic strokes.

A descriptive study of the use of cardiac point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) in public emergency centres in Cape Town.

Introduction: The indications for cardiac point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) vary somewhat in different parts of the world, and training programs may also differ. We set out to describe the self-reported cardiac PoCUS indications and imaging windows used at a selection of secondary-level, public hospital emergency centres in Cape Town.

Methods: A descriptive study with prospective data collected from emergency centres of Mitchells Plain District, Victoria and New Somerset Hospitals in Cape Town were used.