Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2013
The diagnostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in differentiating cardioembolic ischemic stroke.
There has been debate regarding whether natriuretic peptides can be used as a marker to distinguish cardioembolic (CE) origin of ischemic stroke from other subtypes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in differentiating CE from other subtypes of stroke in patients with acute ischemic stroke. ⋯ NT-proBNP has an acceptable diagnostic value in distinguishing CE ischemic stroke from other subtypes. It can be used to differentiate the stroke subtype and facilitate the treatment process in these patients.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2013
Targeting telestroke: benchmarking time performance in telestroke consultations.
To describe the length of time physicians spend completing telestroke consultations and examine factors associated with that period. ⋯ The relatively short consult length suggests a workflow model in which acute stroke care is largely completed before telestroke consultation with a specialist rendering an expert opinion on previously gathered data performed off-line. The findings for prolonged response times indicate an area for improvement. Future workflow models for telestroke consultation will need to be reconsidered to optimize quality of care and clinical efficiency.