Background And Objectives: Recognition of stroke/TIA symptoms by emergency medical services (EMS) is instrumental in providing timely recanalization treatments. We assessed the recognition of stroke/TIA by EMS via the emergency medical call center (EMCC) dispatchers and out-of-hours health service (OOHS) dispatchers.
Methods: In a registry study, based on 2015-2020 data from the Copenhagen EMS, we calculated sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV) of dispatcher suspicion of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and compared against discharge diagnosis.
Results: We included 462,029 contacts to EMCC and 2,573,865 contacts to OOHS. In total, 19,798 contacts had a stroke or TIA diagnosis at hospital discharge. Sensitivity was 0.64 for EMCC dispatchers and 0.25 for OOHS. PPV was 0.28 for EMCC and 0.22 for OOHS; specificity was 0.96 for EMCC and >0.99 for OOHS, and NPV was 0.99 for EMCC and >0.99 for OOHS. Sensitivity improved over the period of the study from 0.62 to 0.68 for EMCC and from 0.20 to 0.25 for OOHS. PPV did not change over the period for EMCC and decreased from 0.26 to 0.19 for OOHS. Both EMCC and OOHS more frequently overlooked stroke in women, in patients calling more than 3 hours after symptom onset, and for more severe strokes. For OHHS, advanced age correlated with lower recognition.
Discussion: As the first study reporting on OOHS setting dispatcher stroke/TIA recognition, we find a need for the improvement of stroke/TIA recognition both in EMCC and in OOHS. Solutions may include specific training of dispatchers, public awareness campaigns, and new technological solutions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200197 | DOI Listing |
Oxf Med Case Reports
October 2024
Accident and Emergency, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, Grantham NG31 8DG, United Kingdom.
This case report discusses the diagnostic challenges posed by transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) and minor strokes presenting with atypical symptoms, focusing on a 62-year-old male presenting with isolated speech difficulties reminiscent of Broca's aphasia. Despite initial inconclusive imaging, subsequent evaluation revealed minor periventricular changes consistent with ischaemic small vessel disease and a pre-existing lacunar infarct. The resolution of symptoms within 10 days highlights the transient nature of the event.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Methods Programs Biomed
August 2024
School of Microelectronics and Communication Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China.
Background And Objective: Stroke has become a major disease threatening the health of people around the world. It has the characteristics of high incidence, high fatality, and a high recurrence rate. At this stage, problems such as poor recognition accuracy of stroke screening based on electronic medical records and insufficient recognition of stroke risk levels exist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Clin Pract
December 2023
Department of Neurology (JW, CK), Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte; Emergency Medical Services Copenhagen (JW, FF, HCC), Denmark; Emergency Medical Services (SNB), Region Zealand; Department of Neurology (HC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg; Department of Clinical Medicine (HC, FF HCC, CK), University of Copenhagen; and Department of Cardiology (FF), Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Denmark.
Background And Objectives: Recognition of stroke/TIA symptoms by emergency medical services (EMS) is instrumental in providing timely recanalization treatments. We assessed the recognition of stroke/TIA by EMS via the emergency medical call center (EMCC) dispatchers and out-of-hours health service (OOHS) dispatchers.
Methods: In a registry study, based on 2015-2020 data from the Copenhagen EMS, we calculated sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV) of dispatcher suspicion of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and compared against discharge diagnosis.
Neurology
April 2023
From the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences (N.E.-B.), University of Melbourne; Dementia Theme (N.E.-B., W.K., M.S.K., D.E., A.B.), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Developmental Imaging (T.D.), Murdoch Children's Research Institute; and Cognitive Health Initiative (M.S.K., A.B.), Central Clinical School (CCS), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Background And Objectives: Cerebral white matter health can be estimated by MRI-derived indices of microstructure. White matter dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a contributor to neurodegenerative disorders affecting cognition and to functional outcomes after stroke. Reduced indices of white matter microstructure have been demonstrated cross-sectionally in stroke survivors compared with stroke-free participants, but longitudinal changes in the structure of white matter after stroke remain largely unexplored.
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