ABSTRACT
Introduction: In India, a national program for stroke (national programme for the control of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and stroke) and stroke management guidelines exist. Its successful implementation would need an organized system of stroke care in practice. However, many challenges exist including lack of awareness, prehospital notification systems, stroke ready hospitals, infrastructural weaknesses, and rehabilitation. We present here a protocol to investigate the feasibility and fidelity of implementing a uniform stroke care pathway in medical colleges of India. Methods and Analysis: This is a multicentric, prospective, multiphase, mixed-method, quasi-experimental implementation study intended to examine the changes in a select set of stroke care-related indicators over time within the sites exposed to the same implementation strategy. We shall conduct process evaluation of the implementation process as well as evaluate the effect of the implementation strategy using the interrupted time series design. During implementation phase, education and training about standard stroke care pathway will be provided to all stakeholders of implementing sites. Patient-level outcomes in the form of modified Rankin Scale score will be collected for all consecutive patients throughout the study. Process evaluation outcomes will be collected and reported in the form of various stroke care indicators. We will report level and trend changes in various indicators during the three study phases. Discussion: Acute stroke requires timely detection, management, and secondary prevention. Implementation of the uniform stroke care pathway is a unique opportunity to promote the requirements of homogenous stroke care in medical colleges of India.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Wilson's disease, a disorder of copper metabolism, results in abnormal accumulation of copper in liver, brain, kidney and cornea giving rise to protean manifestations. Wilson's disease predominantly affects the basal ganglia and brain stem nuclei which may cause autonomic dysfunction. Disturbances of autonomic nervous system have not received attention in Wilson's disease due to its rarity. The aim of this study was to evaluate autonomic cardiovascular reflexes in patients of Wilson's disease and to look for any relationship between autonomic nervous system disturbances and clinical severity of Wilson's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cardiovascular autonomic reflexes were evaluated clinically and electrophysiologically in 30 patients of Wilson's disease with neurological onset and compared with equal number of age and gender matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Significantly abnormal response to the Valsalva maneuver and RR interval variation was seen in patients compared to controls (p<0.05). Latency for sympathetic skin response was also significantly (p<0.02) prolonged in patient group. No specific correlation with clinical severity of Wilson's disease and autonomic dysfunction could be established. CONCLUSION: Autonomic dysfunction occurs in Wilson's disease and affects parasympathetic more than the sympathetic functions.