Rev Neurol France
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Our university hospital serves a population of 300 000 inhabitants. Stroke is the leading cause of admission in our department of neurology. In June 2003, when the Emergency Department (ED) was closed in our institution, was created an acute stroke network (ASN), comprising 2 beds of direct admission and thrombolysis in the intensive care unit, and 4 beds dedicated to stroke care in the department of neurology, in which standardized stroke care protocols were implemented. ⋯ Creation of an ASN was associated with a significant decrease of admission and imaging delays, due to a strong collaboration with EMS, and with a better outcome for hemorrhagic stroke patients. Treatment with intravenous thrombolysis in the first 3 hours could be used widely and was efficient and safe. However, the creation of dedicated stroke units for all stroke patients remains necessary to improve quality of care and outcome.
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Dysimmune neuropathies, in common with other neuropathies, comprise an axonal impairment that it is primary or secondary to a demyelinating process. We consider here axonal impairment in the course of certain dysimmune neuropathies, such as the Guillain Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuritis and multiple conduction block neuropathy. We mention the fact that it is not always easy to evidence the axonal impairment, its severity and its potential for regeneration. ⋯ It is generally recognized that it is only useful if applied for a period of weeks, although this is currently a matter of debate. Other therapeutic options have been discussed and proposed, although to date there is a lack of proven efficiency: such treatments include neuroprotective agents and drugs which block sodium/potassium ion channels. It is increasingly difficult to propose new treatments with validated efficiency, due to the small number of patients presenting dysimmune neuropathies of the type discussed here that are both typical and suitable for inclusion in medium to long term studies.