Recursos asistenciales en ictus en España 2010: análisis de una encuesta nacional del Grupo de Estudio de Enfermedades Cerebrovasculares / Health care resources for stroke patients in Spain, 2010: analysis of a national survey by the Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group

Introduction: Stroke is currently a major social health problem. For this reason, the Spanish Ministry of Health approved the Stroke National Strategy (SNS) in 2008 to improve the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. This plan intends to guarantee 24-hour, 365-days neurological assistance in the whole country by the end of 2010. Our aim was to analyse the situation of stroke assistance in Spain in 2009. Material and methods: A committee of neurologists practicing in the different autonomous communities (AC), and who had not participated in the preparation of the SNS, was created. A national survey was performed including the number of stroke units (SU) and their characteristics (monitoring, 24-h/7-day on-call neurology service, nursing staff ratio and the use of protocols), bed ratio of SU/100,000 people, availability of intravenous thrombolysis therapy, neurovascular intervention (NI) and telemedicine. Results: We included data from 145 hospitals. There are 39 SU in Spain, unevenly distributed. The ratio between SU bed/number of people/AC varied from 1/75,000 to 1/1,037,000 inhabitants; Navarra and Cantabria met the goal. Intravenous thrombolysis therapy is used in 80 hospitals; the number of treatments per AC was between 7 and 536 in 2008. NI was performed in the 63% of the AC, with a total of 28 qualified hospitals (although only 1 hospital performed it 24h, 7days a week in 2009). There were 3 hospitals offering clinical telemedicine services. Conclusions: Assistance for stroke patients has improved in Spain compared to previous years, but there are still some important differences between the AC that must be eliminated to achieve the objectives of the SNS (AU)

Introducción: El ictus constituye un importante problema sociosanitario. Por ese motivo, el Ministerio de Sanidad aprobó en 2008 la Estrategia Nacional en Ictus (ENI) con el objetivo de mejorar la prevención, tratamiento y rehabilitación del paciente con ictus. Se pretende garantizar una atención neurológica en todo el país y a cualquier hora del día para final del 2010. Nuestro objetivo fue analizar la situación de la atención al ictus en España en el año 2009. Material y métodos: Se constituyó un comité de neurólogos de las diferentes CC. AA. que no hubieran participado en la ENI. Se elaboró una encuesta nacional que recogió el número de unidades de ictus (UI) y la dotación (monitorización, guardia de neurología 24h/7 días, ratio de enfermería y existencia de protocolos), ratio cama UI/100.000 habitantes, presencia de trombólisis iv, intervencionismo neurovascular (INV) y telemedicina. Resultados: Se incluyeron datos de 145 hospitales. Existen 39 UI distribuidas de un modo desigual. La relación cama de UI/número de habitantes/comunidad autónoma osciló entre 1/75.000 a 1/1.037.000 habitantes, cumpliendo el objetivo Navarra y Cantabria. Se realiza trombólisis iv en 80 hospitales, el número osciló entre 7-536 tratamientos/CC. AA. durante el año 2008. Se realiza INV en el 63% de las CC. AA., teniendo 28 centros capacitados, aunque sólo 1 la realizaba en 2009 las 24h/7 día. Existen 3 centros con telemedicina. Conclusiones: La asistencia al ictus ha mejorado en España respecto a unos años atrás, pero todavía existen importantes desigualdades por CC. AA. que deberían superarse si se quiere cumplir el objetivo de la ENI (AU)

Health care resources for stroke patients in Spain, 2010: analysis of a national survey by the Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is currently a major social health problem. For this reason, the Spanish Ministry of Health approved the Stroke National Strategy (SNS) in 2008 to improve the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. This plan intends to guarantee 24-hour, 365-days neurological assistance in the whole country by the end of 2010. Our aim was to analyse the situation of stroke assistance in Spain in 2009. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A committee of neurologists practicing in the different autonomous communities (AC), and who had not participated in the preparation of the SNS, was created. A national survey was performed including the number of stroke units (SU) and their characteristics (monitoring, 24-h/7-day on-call neurology service, nursing staff ratio and the use of protocols), bed ratio of SU/100,000 people, availability of intravenous thrombolysis therapy, neurovascular intervention (NI) and telemedicine. RESULTS: We included data from 145 hospitals. There are 39 SU in Spain, unevenly distributed. The ratio between SU bed/number of people/AC varied from 1/75,000 to 1/1,037,000 inhabitants; Navarra and Cantabria met the goal. Intravenous thrombolysis therapy is used in 80 hospitals; the number of treatments per AC was between 7 and 536 in 2008. NI was performed in the 63% of the AC, with a total of 28 qualified hospitals (although only 1 hospital performed it 24h, 7 days a week in 2009). There were 3 hospitals offering clinical telemedicine services. CONCLUSIONS: Assistance for stroke patients has improved in Spain compared to previous years, but there are still some important differences between the AC that must be eliminated to achieve the objectives of the SNS.

[Cerebrovascular disease in a tertiary care hospital. The current situation and points to be improved]. / Patología cerebrovascular en un hospital terciario. Situación actual y puntos de mejora.

INTRODUCTION: Caring for patients suffering from a cerebrovascular diseases requires a large quantity of resources which must be optimised. The aim of this study is to analyse the management of stroke in a tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All admissions with a diagnosis of stroke were analysed retrospectively for the year 2003. Length of stay, computed tomography in the Emergency Room, origin, previous admissions during the last year, presence of vascular risk factors, stroke subtype, complications and mortality during admission and destination when discharged from hospital, were all recorded. RESULTS: 936 patients were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of stroke. 80.22% corresponded to acute ischaemic strokes (27.14% lacunar, 18.57% transient ischaemic attacks, 10.25% cardioembolic, 15.44% aterothrombotic, 8.44% infarct of undetermined cause, 0.24% unusual aetiology) and 19.78% corresponded to haemorrhagic strokes (13.99% intraparenchymatous hemorrhage, 5.79% subarachnoid hemorrhage). Intra-hospital mortality was 5.3%. 11% suffered from complications while in hospital, and average length of stay was 10.4 days, being much longer for those patients discharged to a medium-long stay centre (17.5 days). Compared to other series, the incidence of cardioembolic and aterothrombotic subtypes of stroke is low. However, because of the inclusion of neurosurgical patients, an increase of cerebral haemorrhages is observed. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-hospital morbidity and mortality and average length of stay in our series are consistent with those from other centres of similar characteristics. A better coordination with medium-long stay centres along with the presence of neurologists on call, would certainly improve these variables.

Patología cerebrovascular en un hospital terciario. Situación actual y puntos de mejora / Cerebrovascular disease in a tertiary care hospital current situation and issues to be imporved

Introduction. Caring for patients suffering from a cerebrovascular diseases requires a large quantity of resources which must be optimised. The aim of this study is to analyse the management of stroke in a tertiary care hospital. Patients and methods. All admissions with a diagnosis of stroke were analysed retrospectively for the year 2003. Length of stay, computed tomography in the Emergency Room, origin, previous admissions during the last year, presence of vascular risk factors, stroke subtype, complications and mortality during admission and destination when discharged from hospital, were all recorded. Results. 936 patients were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of stroke. 80,22% corresponded to acute ischaemic strokes (27,14% lacunar, 18,57% transient ischaemic attacks, 10,25% cardioembolic, 15,44% aterothrombotic, 8,44% infarct of undetermined cause, 0,24% unusual aetiology) and 19,78% corresponded to haemorrhagic strokes (13,99% intraparenchymatous hemorrhage, 5,79% subarachnoid hemorrhage). Intra-hospital mortality was 5,3%. 11% suffered from complications while in hospital, and average length of stay was 10,4 days, being much longer for those patients discharged to a medium-long stay centre (17,5 days). Compared to other series, the incidence of cardioembolic and aterothrombotic subtypes of stroke is low. However, because of the inclusion of neurosurgical patients, an increase of cerebral haemorrhages is observed. Conclusions. Intra-hospital morbidity and mortality and average length of stay in our series are consistent with those from other centres of similar characteristics. A better coordination with medium-long stay centres along with the presence of neurologists on call, would certainly improve these variables (AU)

Introducción. La atención a los pacientes con enfermedad cerebrovascular consume gran cantidad de recursos que se necesitan usar óptimamente. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar la situación de la atención a los ictus en un hospital terciario. Pacientes y métodos. Se analizaron retrospectivamente todos los ingresos con diagnóstico de ictus durante el año 2003. Se registraron la duración de la estancia, la realización de tomografía axial computarizada en Urgencias, procedencia, ingresos previos en el último año, presencia de factores de riesgo vascular, subtipo de ictus, complicaciones y mortalidad durante el ingreso y destino al alta. Resultados. Ingresaron un total de 936 pacientes con diagnóstico de ictus. El 80,22% correspondían a ictus isquémicos (27,14% lacunares, 18,57% accidente isquémico transitorio, 10,25% cardioembólicos, 15,44% aterotrombóticos, 8,44% clasificación incierta, 0,24% causa inhabitual) y el 19,78% a formas hemorrágicas (13,99% hematomas, 5,79% hemorragia subaracnoidea). La mortalidad intrahospitalaria fue del 5,3%, el 11% presentaron algún tipo de complicación durante el ingreso y la estancia media fue de 10,4 días, muy superior en aquellos pacientes con destino al alta a un centro de media-larga estancia (17,5 días). Por subtipo de ictus se aprecia una menor incidencia de ictus cardioembólicos y aterotrombóticos que en otras series. Al incluir pacientes neuroquirúrgicos hay, en cambio, un aumento de hemorragias cerebrales. Conclusiones. La morbimortalidad intrahospitalaria y la estancia media de nuestra serie son acordes a las de los centros de similares características. La mejor coordinación con centros de media-larga estancia junto con la presencia de neurólogos de guardia y/o la creación de unidades de ictus, sin duda, podrían mejorar estos resultados (AU)