Workflow Optimization for Ischemic Stroke in a Community-Based Stroke Center.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the effect of specific optimization steps to reduce treatment delays in a nonacademic stroke hospital setting. METHODS: The data from patients with ischemic stroke who had been treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator or endovascular therapy, or both, were analyzed. The metrics were divided into 2 periods: preoptimization period (October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016) and postoptimization period (October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017). The key interventions were 1) notification by the emergency medical service to the emergency department and stroke team; 2) division of the stroke alert between level 1 (intravenous/intra-arterial candidate) and level 2; 3) direct transportation of level 1 patients to brain computed tomography; 4) limitation of nonessential interventions; 5) stroke orientation; 6) 24-hour, 7-day code stroke response by a vascular neurologist; 7) earlier notification of the interventional radiology team; 8) direct transportation from computed tomography to angiography suite for large vessel occlusion; and 9) multidisciplinary monthly meetings to discuss delayed cases. RESULTS: A total of 279 patients were identified. No significant differences in any of the baseline characteristics were documented. Almost all metrics favored the postoptimization period, with remarkable improvement in the door-to-puncture time (median, 64 minutes; interquartile range, 36-86; vs. 47 minutes; interquartile range, 20-62; P = 0.001). We observed an increased percentage of good clinical outcomes in the postoptimization group (60.1% vs. 54.8%; P = 0.500). We found an 8.4% increase in patients with good clinical outcomes in the postoptimization group compared with our previously reported work. CONCLUSIONS: For acute reperfusion therapies, significant reductions in workflow intervals can be achieved after simple optimization methods in a nonacademic community-based hospital.

Light location influences the perceived locations of internal sounds.

Numerous studies have shown that visual stimuli can bias the perceived location of auditory stimuli. Here, we sought to determine if a visual stimulus can also bias the perceived location of multiple internal auditory stimuli. Fifty subjects were presented with a train of eight binaural click-pairs over headphones while a single flash of light was presented either to the left or to the right side of a central fixation point on an otherwise black CRT screen. A no-flash baseline was also implemented, as was a no-fixation control. The subjects used a rating scale to indicate the perceived location of each of the eight click-pairs within their heads. The results showed that the flash of light significantly influenced the perceived location of the click-pairs, biasing them in the same direction as the flash of light. This suggests that, even without perceptual correspondence, cross-modal interactions can occur.