| 1. |
- Alsholm, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Interrupted transport by the emergency medical service in stroke/transitory ischemic attack : A consequence of changed treatment routines in prehospital emergency care.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The discovery that not all patients who call for the emergency medical service (EMS) require transport to hospital has changed the structure of prehospital emergency care. Today, the EMS clinician at the scene already distinguishes patients with a time-critical condition such as stroke/transitory ischemic attack (TIA) from patients without. This highlights the importance of the early identification of stroke/TIA.AIM: To describe patients with a final diagnosis of stroke/TIA whose transport to hospital was interrupted either due to a lack of suspicion of the disease by the EMS crew or due to refusal by the patient or a relative/friend.METHODS: Data were obtained from a register in Gothenburg, covering patients hospitalised due to a final diagnosis of stroke/TIA. The inclusion criterion was that patients were assessed by the EMS but were not directly transported to hospital by the EMS.RESULTS: Among all the patients who were assessed by the EMS nurse and subsequently diagnosed with stroke or TIA in 2015, the transport of 34 of 1,310 patients (2.6%) was interrupted. Twenty-five of these patients, of whom 20 had a stroke and five had a TIA, are described in terms of initial symptoms and outcome. The majority had residual symptoms at discharge from hospital. Initial symptoms were vertigo/disturbed balance in 11 of 25 cases. Another three had symptoms perceived as a change in personality and three had a headache.CONCLUSION: From this pilot study, we hypothesise that a fraction of patients with stroke/TIA who call for the EMS have their direct transport to hospital interrupted due to a lack of suspicion of the disease by the EMS nurse at the scene. These patients appear to have more vague symptoms including vertigo and disturbed balance. Instruments to identify these patients at the scene are warranted.
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| 2. |
- Magnusson, Carl, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Difficulties in the prehospital assessment of patients with TIA/stroke
- 2021
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Ingår i: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0001-6314 .- 1600-0404. ; 143:3, s. 318-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background In patients with TIA/stroke, early assessment is critical. Aim To describe patients who were not directly transported to hospital by ambulance after prehospital assessment. Methods Patients hospitalized with TIA/stroke in Gothenburg, Data were obtained from the EMS and hospital case record system. Results There were 7,812 patients with TIA/stroke, of which 4,853 (62%) were candidates for EMS transport. Among them, 176 (3.6%) were not directly transported to hospital by ambulance. In 45% of them, delay from symptom onset to calling for EMS was <= 24 hours. On EMS arrival, common symptom was dizziness (28%), followed by weakness in arm or leg (21%), loss of sensibility (13%), speech disturbances (7%), and facial numbness (4%). The modified National Institute of Health Stroke Score (mNIHSS) was 0 in 80% and >1 in two per cent. The NIHSS at the emergency department was 1-4 in 39% and 5-15 in six per cent. The EMS clinician made the decision not to transport the patient to hospital by the EMS in 84%, the dispatcher in 12% and the patient or relatives in four per cent. Patients were involved in the decision in 51%. Final diagnosis was stroke in 74% and the proportion who were independent in normal daily activities at hospital discharge decreased by 15% compared with before event. Conclusion About 3%-4% of patients with TIA/stroke were not directly transported to hospital by EMS after prehospital assessment. The most common symptom was dizziness. Decision-support tools for EMS to identify time-sensitive conditions are required.
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| 3. |
- Magnusson, Carl, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction of a time-sensitive condition among patients with dizziness assessed by the emergency medical services
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMC Emergency Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-227X. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a relatively common symptom among patients who call for the emergency medical services (EMS).AIM: To identify factors of importance for the early identification of a time-sensitive condition behind the symptom of dizziness among patients assessed by the EMS.METHODS: All patients assessed by the EMS and triaged using Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment (RETTS) for adults code 11 (=dizziness) in the 660,000 inhabitants in the Municipality of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2016, were considered for inclusion. The patients were divided into two groups according to the final diagnosis (a time-sensitive condition, yes or no).RESULTS: There were 1536 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of which 96 (6.2%) had a time-sensitive condition. The majority of these had a stroke/transitory ischaemic attack (TIA). Eight predictors of a time-sensitive condition were identified. Three were associated with a reduced risk: 1) the dizziness was of a rotatory type, 2) the dizziness had a sudden onset and 3) increasing body temperature. Five were associated with an increased risk: 1) sudden onset of headache, 2) a history of head trauma, 3) symptoms of nausea or vomiting, 4) on treatment with anticoagulants and 5) increasing systolic blood pressure.CONCLUSION: Among 1536 patients who were triaged by the EMS for dizziness, 6.2% had a time-sensitive condition. On the arrival of the EMS, eight factors were associated with the risk of having a time-sensitive condition. All these factors were linked to the type of symptoms or to clinical findings on the arrival of the EMS or to the recent clinical history.
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| 4. |
- Magnusson, Carl, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Prehospital recognition of stroke is associated with a lower risk of death
- 2022
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Ingår i: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 0001-6314 .- 1600-0404. ; 146:2, s. 126-136
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Among patients assessed by the emergency medical service (EMS) and hospitalized with a final diagnosis of stroke, to describe delays, patient characteristics, actions taken and outcome in relation to the early recognition of stroke by the EMS clinician.Methods: Patients admitted to any of six stroke units in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden, with a final diagnosis of stroke from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015 were included. Data on follow-up were retrieved from the Swedish Stroke Register.Results: In all, 5467 patients were included. Stroke was recognized by the EMS clinician in 4396 cases (80.4%). The mean difference in the time from dialling 112 until arrival at the stroke unit was 556 min shorter when stroke was recognized, while the mean difference in the time from dialling 112 until a preliminary report from a computed tomography (CT) scan was 219 min shorter as compared with the patients in whom stroke was not recognized. After adjustment for age, sex, neurological deficits and coma, a lack of suspicion of stroke on EMS arrival was associated with an increased risk of death during three months of follow-up (odds ratio 1.66; 95% confidence interval 1.19-2.32; p = .003).Conclusion: Among patients with a stroke, more than 80% were recognized by the EMS clinician. Early recognition of stroke was associated with a markedly shorter time until arrival at the stroke unit and until the preliminary report of a CT scan. A lack of early stroke recognition was associated with an increased risk of death.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Niklasson, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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Socioeconomic disparities in prehospital stroke care
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation & Emergency Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1757-7241. ; 27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purposeRecent studies have revealed socioeconomic disparities in stroke outcomes. Here, we investigated whether prehospital stroke care differs with respect to socioeconomic status (SES).MethodsConsecutive stroke and TIA patients (n=3006) admitted to stroke units at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1 November 2014 to 31 July 2016, were included. Data on prehospital care were obtained from a local stroke register. Socioeconomic status was classified according to the average level of income and education within each patient's neighbourhood (postcode area).ResultsThe median system delay from calling the emergency medical communication centre (EMCC) to start of brain computed tomography on hospital arrival was 3h 47min (95% confidence interval (CI) 3h 30min to 4h 05min) for patients within the lowest SES tertile and 3h 17min (95% CI 3h 00min to 3h 37min) for the highest tertile (p<0.05). Patients with a lower SES were less likely to receive the highest priority in the ambulance (p<0.05) and had lower rates of prehospital recognition of stroke/TIA (p<0.05) than those with a high SES. No inequities were found concerning EMCC prioritisation or the probability of ambulance transport.ConclusionsWe found socioeconomic inequities in prehospital stroke care which could affect the efficacy of acute stroke treatment. The ambulance nurses' ability to recognise stroke/TIA may partly explain the observed inequities.
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| 7. |
- Packendorff, Niclas, et al.
(författare)
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Outcome among patients who call the emergency medical service (EMS) due to dizziness
- 2021
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Ingår i: Australasian Emergency Care. - : Elsevier BV. - 2588-994X .- 2589-1375. ; 24:1, s. 61-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPatient with dizziness are challenging in prehospital care. The aim was to describe final diagnosis among patients assessed by EMS as suffering from dizziness with focus on time-critical conditions.MethodsConsecutive patients assessed by an EMS clinician during 12 months in a single large EMS system in Gothenburg, Sweden (660,000 inhabitants), were assessed. The study comprised patients given ESS code 11 dizziness. The main end-point was the final diagnosis (ICD code).ResultsThere were 58,575 primary missions, of which 2,048 (3.5%) were assessed as ESS code 11 (dizziness). Of these, 161 (8%) were excluded. Among the remaining 1887 cases, there were 230 different ICD codes and 96 (5%) had a time-critical condition. The majority (88%) had a cerebrovascular disease. The most typical symptoms among time-critical conditions were an acute onset (63%) and nausea, vomiting (61%). When compared with non-time-critical conditions, those with time-critical conditions were older and had a higher median systolic blood pressure at EMS arrival.ConclusionAmong primary missions by the EMS, 3.5% had dizziness. Of these, 5% had a time-critical condition and the majority had a cerebrovascular disease. Instruments to identify time-critical conditions among patients seen by EMS due to dizziness are required.
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| 8. |
- Wennman, Ingela, et al.
(författare)
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Fast track to stroke unit for patients not eligible for acute intervention, a case-control register study on 1066 patients.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stroke patients not eligible for acute intervention often have low priority and may spend long time at the emergency department (ED) waiting for admission. The aim of this retrospective case-control register study was to evaluate outcomes for such "low priority" stroke patients who were transported via Fast Track directly to the stroke unit, according to pre-specified criteria by emergency medical service (EMS). The outcomes of Fast Track patients, transported directly to stroke unit (cases) were compared with the outcomes of patients who fulfilled these critera for Fast Track, but instead were transported to the ED (controls). In all, 557 cases and 509 controls were identified. The latter spent a mean time of 237 min in the ED before admission. The 90-day mortality rate was 12.9% for cases and 14.7% for controls (n.s.). None of the secondary outcome events differed significantly between the groups: 28-day mortality rate; death rate during hospitalisation; proportion of pneumonias, falls or pressure ulcers; or health-related outcomes according to the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. These findings indicates that the Fast Track to the stroke unit by an EMS is safe for selected stroke patients and could avoid non-valuable time in the ED.
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