Efficacy of New Measures Saving Time in Acute Stroke Management: A Quantified Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Time to treatment remains the most important factor in acute ischemic stroke prognosis. We quantified the effect of new interventions reducing in-hospital delays in acute stroke management and assessed its repercussion on door-to-imaging (DTI), imaging-to-needle (ITN), and door-to-needle (DTN) times. METHODS: Prospective registry of consecutive stroke patients who were candidates for reperfusion therapy attended in a tertiary care hospital from February 1 to December 31, 2014. A series of measures aimed at reducing in-hospital delays were implemented. We compared DTI, ITN, and DTN times between patients who underwent the interventions and those who did not. RESULTS: 231 patients. DTI time was lower when personal history was reviewed and tests were ordered before patient arrival (2.5 minutes saved, P = .016) and when electrocardiogram was not made (5.4 minutes saved, P < .001). Not performing a computed tomography angiography and not waiting for coagulation results from laboratory before intravenous thrombolysis (25.5%) reduced ITN time significantly (14 and 12 minutes saved, respectively, P < .001). These interventions remained as independent predictors of a shorter ITN and DTN time. Completing all steps resulted in the lowest DTI and ITN times (13 and 19 minutes, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Every measure is an important part of a chain focused on saving time in acute stroke: the lowest DTI and ITN times were obtained when all steps were completed. Measures shortening ITN time produced a greater impact on DTN time reduction; therefore, ITN interventions should be considered a critical part of new protocols and guidelines.

Influencia de la depresión en el diagnóstico inicial y evolutivo del deterioro cognitivo / Influence of depression on the initial diagnosis and the evolution of cognitive impairment

Introducción. La depresión y el deterioro cognitivo mantienen una estrecha y compleja relación, que podría verse alterada por el tratamiento antidepresivo. Objetivo. Analizar la influencia de la depresión y del tratamiento antidepresivo en el diagnóstico cognitivo inicial y evolutivo de los pacientes remitidos a neurología por quejas o sospecha de deterioro cognitivo. Pacientes y métodos. Se estudió a todos los pacientes remitidos a una consulta de neurología por quejas o sospecha de deterioro cognitivo durante un período de nueve años. Se analizó la influencia de las variables demográficas y de las variables relacionadas con la depresión en el diagnóstico cognitivo y en la situación cognitivo-funcional inicial y tras un año de seguimiento. Resultados. Se incluyó a 582 pacientes (edad media: 77,6 ± 7 años; mujeres, 64,9%). La frecuencia de depresión actual o en el pasado era, respectivamente, del 25,4% y 17,2%. El 20,6% de los pacientes recibía tratamiento con fármacos antidepresivos y el 31,2% tomaba ansiolíticos/hipnóticos. Se dispuso de seguimiento al cabo de un año en 320 pacientes (59,8%). En el análisis ajustado, el tratamiento ansiolítico/hipnótico se asoció a una peor situación cognitiva y funcional inicial, mientras que la depresión en el pasado y la presencia de distimia en la visita inicial se asociaron a una evolución favorable (p < 0,05). Conclusiones. La depresión pasada o actual no es un factor de mal pronóstico en los pacientes remitidos al neurólogo por posible deterioro cognitivo (AU)

Introduction. Depression and cognitive impairment maintain a close and complex relationship, which could be modified by pharmacological treatment. Aim. To analyze the influence of depression and antidepressive medication on the initial diagnosis and the evolution of cognitive impairment. Patients and methods. All the patients derived to a Neurology clinic due to complaints or suspicion of cognitive impairment, during a period of nine years, were studied. The influence of demographic and depression-related variables on initial cognitive diagnosis, cognitive-functional situation and 1-year evolution were analyzed. Results. A total of 582 patients were included (mean age: 77.6 ± 7.0; 64.9% women). Frequency of current and past depression were, respectively, 25.4% and 17.2%. In addition, 20.6% of the patients were taking antidepressant medication and 31.2% were on anxiolytic/hypnotic treatment. One-year follow-up visit was available in 320 (59.8%) of patients. In the adjusted analysis, anxiolytic/hypnotic treatment was associated with a worse cognitive-functional situation in the initial visit, while past depression and presence of dystimia were associated with a favorable evolution (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Past or current depression are not associated with bad prognosis in patients derived to neurologist due to possible cognitive impairment (AU)