ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the clinical characteristics, including risk factors and etiologic subtypes, of ischemic stroke in young adults. METHODS: One hundred thirty-two patients with acute ischemic stroke and between 15 and 44 years of age who visited the Emergency Department of Samsung Medical Center from January 1999 to December 2003 were included. We retrospectively reviewed their medical records and the result of brain CT, brain MRI/MRA, transcranial doppler sonography, echocardiography, electrocardiography, and laboratory studies for coagulopathy, autoimmune disease, and vasculitis according to the Young-age Stroke Protocol of Samsung Medical Center. Stroke subtypes were classified based on the TOAST criteria. RESULTS: In this study, men (77.3%) significantly outnumbered women. The prevalence of cigarette smoking, habitual alcohol ingestion, hyperlipidemia, and DM was significantly higher in men than women. Stroke subtypes were large-artery thrombosis 26.5%, small-artery occlusive disease 20.5%, cardioembolism 17.4%, other determined etiologies 12.7%, and undetermined causes 22.7%. Among the 17 patients with other determined etiologies, arterial dissection (9 patients) was most common. Our Young-age Stroke Protocol identified a clinically significant result in only one patient. CONCLUSION: Smoking and alcohol ingestion were the most important risk factors. The proportion of large-artery thrombosis and small-artery occlusion was relatively high compared to previous western studies. Arterial dissection was the most common cause in other determined etiologies. The current Young-age Stroke Protocol has limited value for stroke in young Korean adults.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Autoimmune Diseases , Brain , Eating , Echocardiography , Electrocardiography , Emergency Service, Hospital , Hyperlipidemias , Medical Records , Prevalence , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Smoke , Smoking , Stroke , Thrombosis , Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial , VasculitisABSTRACT
PURPOSE: For tachycardic patients not in need of immediate cardioversion, the International Guidelines 2000 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care emphasize specific rhythm diagnosis and avoidance of simplistic overuse of adenosine. The purpose of this study was to identify the rhythms for which adenosine was inappropriately prescribed at the emergency department after the International Guidelines 2000 had been adopted. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 128 tachycardic patients who had been prescribed adenosine at the emergency department from September 2000 to March 2003. Patients were divided into two groups. The Appropriate Use Group was comprised of patients for whom had been prescribed for narrow QRS-complex tachycardia on the initial ECG. The Inappropriate Use Group was comprised of patients for whom adenosine had been prescribed for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, sinus tachycardia, and wide QRS-complex tachycardia of unknown origin on the initial ECG. RESULTS: Of the 128 patients, 31 (24.2%) were in the Inappropriate Use Group. Among them, atrial fibrillation was involved in 15, atrial flutter in 3, atrial tachycardia in 2, sinus tachycardia in 8, and wide QRS-complex tachycardia of unknown origin in 3. CONCLUSION: Approximately 24% of the emergency department patients who were treated with adenosine received the medication unnecessarily for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, sinus tachycardia, and wide QRS-complex tachycardia of unknown origin. Additional education on electrocardiographic recognition of tachyarrhythmias, and the Tachycardia Algorithms of Guidelines 2000 may be necessary for residents of emergency department.