Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Predicting survival for 1 year among different subtypes of stroke. Results from the Perth Community Stroke Study.
Few studies have evaluated the factors influencing or predicting long-term survival after stroke in an unselected series of patients in whom the underlying cerebrovascular pathology is clearly defined. Moreover, the relative importance of risk factors for stroke, including sociodemographic and premorbid variables, has not been described in detail. ⋯ Although the case fatality, timing, and cause of death vary considerably among the different pathological subtypes of stroke, simple clinical measures that reflect the severity of the neurological deficit and associated cardiac disease at onset independently predict death by 1 year and may help to direct management.
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The aim of this study was to determine whether dementia after stroke adversely influences long-term survival. ⋯ Our study is the first to demonstrate that dementia or cognitive impairment adversely influences long-term survival after stroke, even after adjusting for other commonly accepted predictors of stroke mortality. Impairment in intellectual function after stroke, independent of physical disability, has a significant impact on prognosis. Both cognitive and physical functions should be assessed in clinical studies of stroke outcome.
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This study validates transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) for determination of the lower limit of cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation and establishes a relation between global CBF and mean flow velocity (Vmean) in the middle cerebral artery. ⋯ TCD is valid for determination of the lower limit of CBF autoregulation, and changes in CBF may be reliably evaluated by TCD during changes in cerebral perfusion pressure in normal subjects.
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Significant delays often occur during the treatment of patients with acute stroke. Some of those delays occur in the hospital. We attempted to shorten inhospital treatment intervals by creating a rapid-response system, similar to that available for cardiac arrest, that would allow the stroke team to be available within a few minutes to care for stroke victims. ⋯ It is possible to shorten inhospital treatment delays by instituting rapid-response systems within individual institutions.
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The cause of cerebral and peripheral embolism remains undetermined in a significant number of patients. An atherosclerotic thoracic aorta has thus far been considered to be an uncommon one. ⋯ Atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta is an independent risk factor for cerebrovascular events. An atherosclerotic ascending aorta may represent a potential source of emboli or may be a marker of generalized atherosclerosis.