[Urgent stroke care in hospitals with a stroke unit. Quick Project]. / Atención urgente al ictus en hospitales con unidad de ictus. Proyecto Quick.

INTRODUCTION: A stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. Swiftness in its recognition and in the care received by the patients plays a key role in the prognosis. AIMS: To analyse the medical intervention times, to evaluate possible areas where improvements can be made and to examine the allocation of resources in the centres. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was based on a prospective register of patients with suspected stroke and stroke code activation treated in eight experienced Spanish stroke units. Onset-to-door, door-to-computed tomography (CT), door-to-needle, CT-to-needle and onset-to-needle times were collected. Information about the means of transport used to get to the hospital, the type of stroke and reperfusion therapies was also collected. With regard to the structural resources of the centres, data were gathered about the nurse-to-patient ratio, bed monitoring, availability of multimodal CT and magnetic resonance, and doing information or training courses. RESULTS: Altogether 197 patients were included, of whom 181 (151 infarctions and 30 brain haemorrhages) were valid. The medians (p25-p75) in minutes were: onset-to-door, 104 (70-188); door-to-CT, 27 (19-41); CT-to-needle, 30 (21-43); door-to-needle, 64 (49-83); and onset-to-needle, 156 (129-202). Reperfusion therapies were applied in 68 patients (45% of the cerebral infarctions), of which 81% were intravenous thrombolyses; 7%, endovascular treatments; and 12%, a combination of the two. The resources available in the centres were in accordance with those recommended by the clinical guidelines. There was a low percentage of patients who were studied by means of magnetic resonance. CONCLUSION: The percentage of patients treated with thrombolysis was very high and although the times of the in-hospital circuits were good, there is still room for further improvement.

TITLE: Atencion urgente al ictus en hospitales con unidad de ictus. Proyecto Quick.Introduccion. El ictus es una emergencia medica dependiente del tiempo. La rapidez en su reconocimiento y en la atencion que reciben los pacientes es clave en el pronostico. Objetivos. Analizar los tiempos de actuacion medica, evaluar posibles areas de mejora y estudiar la dotacion de recursos de los centros. Pacientes y metodos. Registro prospectivo de pacientes atendidos en ocho unidades de ictus experimentadas españolas con sospecha de ictus y activacion del codigo ictus. Se recogieron los tiempos inicio-puerta, puerta-tomografia computarizada (TC), puerta-aguja, TC-aguja e inicio-aguja. Tambien se recogieron el metodo de trasporte al hospital, el tipo de ictus y las terapias de reperfusion. En cuanto a la dotacion estructural de los centros, se recogieron la ratio de enfermeria, la monitorizacion de camas, la disponibilidad de TC multimodal y resonancia magnetica, y la realizacion de cursos de informacion o formacion. Resultados. Se incluyeron 197 pacientes, de los cuales fueron validos 181 (151 infartos y 30 hemorragias cerebrales). Las medianas (p25-p75) en minutos fueron: inicio-puerta, 104 (70-188); puerta-TC, 27 (19-41); TC-aguja, 30 (21-43); puerta-aguja, 64 (49-83); e inicio-aguja, 156 (129-202). Se aplicaron terapias de reperfusion en 68 pacientes (el 45% de los infartos cerebrales), de los cuales el 81% fueron trombolisis intravenosas; el 7%, tratamientos endovasculares; y el 12%, una combinacion de ambos. Los recursos de los centros estuvieron de acuerdo con lo recomendado por las guias clinicas. Hubo un bajo porcentaje de pacientes estudiados con resonancia magnetica. Conclusion. El porcentaje de pacientes tratados con trombolisis fue muy elevado y los tiempos de los circuitos intrahospitalarios, aunque buenos, tienen margen de mejora.

The study of deep brain structures by transcranial duplex sonography and imaging resonance correlation.

Transcranial duplex sonography (TCS) currently provides us with images of deep brain structures with sufficient resolution. We chose 2 sonographic quantitative parameters: the diameter of the third ventricle and a measurement not used by TCS to date, the midbrain area. Their reliability and reproducibility were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the reference. A total of 99 patients free from neurodegenerative disorders were examined using TCS, and both parameters were measured by 2 independent explorers. Measurements of third-ventricle diameter by TCS showed very good correlation (r = 0.80) and agreement (ICC = 0.89) with measurements obtained by MRI. Measurements of the midbrain area by TCS also provided acceptable values with moderate correlation (r = 0.36) and agreement (ICC = 0.53). Interexplorer correlation values were good (ICC = 0.98 and 0.79 for the third ventricle and midbrain areas, respectively). Further studies will be required to determine the potential diagnostic usefulness of these parameters.

[Evaluation of the substantia nigra by means of transcranial ultrasound imaging]. / Evaluacion de la sustancia negra mediante ultrasonografia transcraneal.

AIM. To describe the prevalence of hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in two samples of patients: one group who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) in accordance with United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society criteria and a control population, so as to be able to establish the reference values for our neurosonology laboratory. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Two samples of patients consisting of healthy controls with no neurodegenerative disease and patients with PD were selected. Planimetric measurements of the area of echogenicity in the substantia nigra were performed in both groups. The greatest area of echogenicity measured on each side of each patient was considered. Descriptive statistics of the sample were carried out. The ROC curve was constructed in order to show the overall precision, sensitivity and specificity of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in comparison to the clinical diagnosis of PD. RESULTS. Altogether 45 patients with PD and 91 controls were analysed. Using our own cut-off point (percentile 90 of the controls = 0.22 cm2), hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra was observed in 73.33% of patients with PD and 8.79% of the controls (p = 0). An area below the curve of 93% was seen, which represents good overall precision for transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of PD. CONCLUSIONS. The evaluation of the substantia nigra conducted in our laboratory using ultrasound imaging reveals significant differences between subjects with PD and normal subjects. The values obtained in our laboratory are slightly below those established as an international reference and offer excellent values for specificity and an acceptable level of sensitivity in our locale.

Mesencephalic area measured by transcranial sonography in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial B-mode sonography (TCS) has become an important tool in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism given that current technology enables an adequate assessment of brain structures. In this study we aimed at evaluating the usefulness of midbrain area measured by TCS in the differential diagnosis between Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of PD or PSP according to current clinical criteria were recruited. PSP patients were classified as Richardson's syndrome and PSP-parkinsonism. TCS was performed and the mesencephalic area and third ventricle width were measured offline by an examiner blinded to clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: TCS was performed in 60 patients (75% PD, 25% PSP). Eight patients (13,3%) had inadequate acoustic window. Patients with PSP had a smaller mesencephalic area (3.58 cm(2) vs 5.28 cm(2), p < 0.001). A mesencephalic area ≥4.27 cm(2) discriminates PD from PSP with a positive predictive value 100%. Patients with PSP also had a higher third ventricle diameter (8.84 mm vs 5.11 mm, p < 0.001). Within the PSP group patients with Richardson's syndrome had a wider third ventricle than patients with PSP-Parkinsonism phenotype (9.57 mm vs 7 mm, p = 0.01), but no differences were found in the mesencephalic area between both phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of the mesencephalic area and the third ventricle width by TCS is a non-invasive, easily accessible technique that is useful in the differential diagnosis between PD and PSP, at least in the late stages of the disease.

Atención urgente al ictus en hospitales con unidad de ictus. Proyecto Quick / Urgent stroke care in hospitals with a stroke unit. Quick Project

Introducción. El ictus es una emergencia médica dependiente del tiempo. La rapidez en su reconocimiento y en la atención que reciben los pacientes es clave en el pronóstico. Objetivos. Analizar los tiempos de actuación médica, evaluar posibles áreas de mejora y estudiar la dotación de recursos de los centros. Pacientes y métodos. Registro prospectivo de pacientes atendidos en ocho unidades de ictus experimentadas españolas con sospecha de ictus y activación del código ictus. Se recogieron los tiempos inicio-puerta, puerta-tomografía computarizada (TC), puerta-aguja, TC-aguja e inicio-aguja. También se recogieron el método de trasporte al hospital, el tipo de ictus y las terapias de reperfusión. En cuanto a la dotación estructural de los centros, se recogieron la ratio de enfermería, la monitorización de camas, la disponibilidad de TC multimodal y resonancia magnética, y la realización de cursos de información o formación. Resultados. Se incluyeron 197 pacientes, de los cuales fueron válidos 181 (151 infartos y 30 hemorragias cerebrales). Las medianas (p25-p75) en minutos fueron: inicio-puerta, 104 (70-188); puerta-TC, 27 (19-41); TC-aguja, 30 (21-43); puertaaguja, 64 (49-83); e inicio-aguja, 156 (129-202). Se aplicaron terapias de reperfusión en 68 pacientes (el 45% de los infartos cerebrales), de los cuales el 81% fueron trombólisis intravenosas; el 7%, tratamientos endovasculares; y el 12%, una combinación de ambos. Los recursos de los centros estuvieron de acuerdo con lo recomendado por las guías clínicas. Hubo un bajo porcentaje de pacientes estudiados con resonancia magnética. Conclusión. El porcentaje de pacientes tratados con trombólisis fue muy elevado y los tiempos de los circuitos intrahospitalarios, aunque buenos, tienen margen de mejora (AU)

Introduction. A stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. Swiftness in its recognition and in the care received by the patients plays a key role in the prognosis. Aims. To analyse the medical intervention times, to evaluate possible areas where improvements can be made and to examine the allocation of resources in the centres. Patients and methods. The study was based on a prospective register of patients with suspected stroke and stroke code activation treated in eight experienced Spanish stroke units. Onset-to-door, door-to-computed tomography (CT), door-toneedle, CT-to-needle and onset-to-needle times were collected. Information about the means of transport used to get to the hospital, the type of stroke and reperfusion therapies was also collected. With regard to the structural resources of the centres, data were gathered about the nurse-to-patient ratio, bed monitoring, availability of multimodal CT and magnetic resonance, and doing information or training courses. Results. Altogether 197 patients were included, of whom 181 (151 infarctions and 30 brain haemorrhages) were valid. The medians (p25-p75) in minutes were: onset-to-door, 104 (70-188); door-to-CT, 27 (19-41); CT-to-needle, 30 (21-43); doorto-needle, 64 (49-83); and onset-to-needle, 156 (129-202). Reperfusion therapies were applied in 68 patients (45% of the cerebral infarctions), of which 81% were intravenous thrombolyses; 7%, endovascular treatments; and 12%, a combination of the two. The resources available in the centres were in accordance with those recommended by the clinical guidelines. There was a low percentage of patients who were studied by means of magnetic resonance. Conclusion. The percentage of patients treated with thrombolysis was very high and although the times of the in-hospital circuits were good, there is still room for further improvement (AU)

Evaluación de la sustancia negra mediante ultrasonografía transcraneal / Evaluation of the substantia nigra by means of transcranial ultrasound imaging

Objetivo. Describir la prevalencia de la hiperecogenicidad de la sustancia negra en dos muestras de pacientes, unos con diagnóstico de enfermedad de Parkinson (EP) según los criterios de la United Kingdom Parkinson’s Disease Society, y una población control, con el fin de establecer los propios valores de referencia para nuestro laboratorio de neurosonología. Sujetos y métodos. Se seleccionaron dos muestras de pacientes compuestos por controles sanos sin enfermedad neurodegenerativa y pacientes con EP. Se realizaron mediciones planimétricas del área de ecogenicidad de la sustancia negra en ambos grupos. Se consideró la mayor área de ecogenicidad medida en cada lado en cada paciente. Se realizaron estadísticos descriptivos de la muestra. Se construyó la curva ROC para mostrar la precisión global, la sensibilidad y la especificidad del Doppler transcraneal en comparación con el diagnóstico clínico de EP. Resultados. Se analizaron en total 45 pacientes con EP y 91 controles. Empleando nuestro propio punto de co e (percentil 90 de los controles = 0,22 cm2), presentaban hiperecogenicidad de la sustancia negra un 73,33% de los pacientes con EP y un 8,79% de los controles (p = 0). Se pudo apreciar un área bajo la curva del 93%, lo que expresa una buena precisión global del Doppler transcraneal en el diagnóstico de EP. Conclusiones. La evaluación ultrasonográfica de la sustancia negra consigue detectar en nuestro laboratorio diferencias significativas entre los sujetos con EP y los sujetos normales. Los valores obtenidos en nuestro laboratorio están ligeramente por debajo de los establecidos como referencia internacional, y ofrecen unos excelentes valores de especificad y una aceptable sensibilidad en nuestro medio (AU)

Aim. To describe the prevalence of hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in two samples of patients: one group who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in accordance with United Kingdom Parkinson’s Disease Society criteria and a control population, so as to be able to establish the reference values for our neurosonology laboratory Subjects and methods. Two samples of patients consisting of healthy controls with no neurodegenerative disease and patients with PD were selected. Planimetric measurements of the area of echogenicity in the substantia nigra were performed in both groups. The greatest area of echogenicity measured on each side of each patient was considered. Descriptive statistics of the sample were carried out. The ROC curve was constructed in order to show the overall precision, sensitivity and specificity of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in comparison to the clinical diagnosis of PD. Results. Altogether 45 patients with PD and 91 controls were analysed. Using our own cut-off point (percentile 90 of the controls = 0.22 cm2), hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra was observed in 73.33% of patients with PD and 8.79% of the controls (p = 0). An area below the curve of 93% was seen, which represents good overall precision for transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of PD. Conclusions. The evaluation of the substantia nigra conducted in our laboratory using ultrasound imaging reveals significant differences between subjects with PD and normal subjects. The values obtained in our laboratory are slightly below those established as an international reference and offer excellent values for specificity and an acceptable level of sensitivity in our locale (AU)

¿Quién controla las malformaciones arteriovenosas cerebrales no quirúrgicas en España? / No disponible

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¿Quién controla las malformaciones arteriovenosas cerebrales no quirúrgicas en España? Réplica / No disponible

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