Development of a new stroke scale in an emergency setting.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of stroke is crucial to maximize early management benefits in emergency departments. This study aimed to develop and validate a new stroke recognition instrument for differentiating acute stroke from stroke mimics in an emergency setting. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study among suspected stroke patients presenting to Emergency Department in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University was conducted from May 2012 to March 2013. The symptoms and signs of suspected stroke patients were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with acute stroke. The symptoms and signs closely associated with acute stroke were selected to develop the new stroke scale, Guangzhou Stroke Scale (GZSS). The diagnostic value of GZSS was then compared with ROSIER, FAST and LAPSS. The primary outcome was confirmed stroke by CT within 24 h. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixteen suspected stroke patients (247 ischemia, 107 hemorrhage, 4 transient ischemic attack, 58 non-stroke) were assessed. A new stroke scale, GZSS (total score from -1 to 8.5), was developed and consisted of nine parameters: vertigo (-1), GCS ≤ 8 (+2), facial paralysis (+1), asymmetric arm weakness (+1), asymmetric leg weakness (+1), speech disturbance (+0.5), visual field defect (+1), systolic blood pressure ≥145 mmHg (+1) and diastolic blood pressure ≥95 mmHg (+1). Among the four scales, the discriminatory value (C-statistic) of GZSS was the best (AUC: 0.871 (p < 0.001) when compared to ROSIER (0.772), LAPSS (0.722) and FAST (0.699). At an optimal cut-off score of >1.5 on a scale from -1 to 8.5, the sensitivity and specificity of GZSS were 83.2 and 74.1 %, whilst the sensitivities and specificities of ROSIER were 77.7 and 70.7 %, FAST were 76.0 and 63.8 %, LAPSS were 56.4 and 87.9 %. CONCLUSION: GZSS had better sensitivity than existing stroke scales in Chinese patients with suspected stroke. Further studies should be conducted to confirm its effectiveness in the initial differentiation of acute stroke from stroke mimics.

Conocimiento de escalas de evaluación inicial de accidente cerebrovascular por médicos de guardia en tres provincias argentinas / Awareness of initial stoke evaluation scales among emergency room physicians in three argentinian provinces

Introducción: las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyeron en 2004 la causa más frecuente de muerte en Argentina,duplicando a las neoplasias malignas en su conjunto. El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) representó el7,5% del total de muertes. La Asociación Americana del Corazón propone el empleo de la escala prehospitalaria delaccidente cerebrovascular de Cincinnati (CPSS) y la escala de evaluación prehospitalaria del ACV de Los Ángeles(LAPSS) para evaluar sujetos con posible ACV.Objetivos: evaluar el conocimiento de estas escalas por médicos de guardia, y su opinión respecto al valor que ellaspodrían tener sobre su práctica.Material y método: estudio prospectivo y observacional encuestando 569 médicos durante diciembre de 2008 amarzo 2009 en distintas ciudades de las provincias de Santa Fe, Entre Ríos y Chaco, Argentina.Resultados: un 32,3% manifestó conocer las escalas, pero solamente 8,4% de ellos pudo enumerar los puntos deCPSS, un 1,9% pudo hacerlo con LAPSS y el 0,7% ambas. Quienes recordaban una o ambas escalas manifestaronsentirse más seguros al evaluar un posible ACV (p= 0,02); ninguno de los que recordaban LAPSS manifestó sentirseinseguro. Quienes se sentían menos seguros fueron los que atribuyeron más beneficios a las escalas (p= 0,0003).Los no especialistas las consideraron más útiles (p= 0,005). El 89% refirió que las escalas beneficiarían su práctica.Conclusiones: ambas escalas fueron consideradas de valor por médicos de guardia para evaluar pacientes con posibleACV. Enfatizamos la necesidad de una mayor difusión de ellas a fin de mejorar el abordaje inicial de estos pacientes.

Introduction: In 2004, the most frequent cause of death in Argentina was cardiovascular disease, which almost duplicated all types of malignant neoplasm. Cerebrovascular disease caused 7.5% of total deaths. The American Heart Association proposes the use of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) and Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen (LAPSS) toevaluate patients with possible cerebrovascular disease. Objective: To evaluate the awareness of these scales knowledge among doctors working in emergency rooms and prehospitalconsultation, and what are their opinions about the usefulness of the scales.Material and method: Observational and prospective survey of 569 doctors from the Argentinian provinces of Santa Fe,Entre Rios, and Chaco from December 2008 to March 2009. Results: One third (32.3%) of doctors included in the mentioned survey declared to know the scales, although only 8.4% of them could enumerate CPSS points, 1.9% could enumerate LAPSS points and 0.7% remembered both CPSS andLAPSS points. Those who remembered either one or both scales felt safer evaluating a possible stroke (p= 0.02) while and no doctor who remembered LAPSS felt doubtful. Those who felt more hesitant where the doctors who adscribed more benefits to the scales (p= 0.0003). Non specialists considered scales more useful (p= 0.005). Overall, 89% of doctors admitted scales would benefit their practice. Conclusion: Both scales were highly valued by doctors on call in order to diagnose patients with possible stroke. We stress the need of a bigger widespread coverage of these scales in order to improve the initial approach for managing these patients.

Conocimiento de escalas de evaluación inicial de accidente cerebrovascular por médicos de guardia en tres provincias argentinas / Awareness of initial stoke evaluation scales among emergency room physicians in three argentinian provinces

Introducción: las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyeron en 2004 la causa más frecuente de muerte en Argentina,duplicando a las neoplasias malignas en su conjunto. El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) representó el7,5% del total de muertes. La Asociación Americana del Corazón propone el empleo de la escala prehospitalaria delaccidente cerebrovascular de Cincinnati (CPSS) y la escala de evaluación prehospitalaria del ACV de Los Angeles(LAPSS) para evaluar sujetos con posible ACV.Objetivos: evaluar el conocimiento de estas escalas por médicos de guardia, y su opinión respecto al valor que ellaspodrían tener sobre su práctica.Material y método: estudio prospectivo y observacional encuestando 569 médicos durante diciembre de 2008 amarzo 2009 en distintas ciudades de las provincias de Santa Fe, Entre Ríos y Chaco, Argentina.Resultados: un 32,3% manifestó conocer las escalas, pero solamente 8,4% de ellos pudo enumerar los puntos deCPSS, un 1,9% pudo hacerlo con LAPSS y el 0,7% ambas. Quienes recordaban una o ambas escalas manifestaronsentirse más seguros al evaluar un posible ACV (p= 0,02); ninguno de los que recordaban LAPSS manifestó sentirseinseguro. Quienes se sentían menos seguros fueron los que atribuyeron más beneficios a las escalas (p= 0,0003).Los no especialistas las consideraron más útiles (p= 0,005). El 89% refirió que las escalas beneficiarían su práctica.Conclusiones: ambas escalas fueron consideradas de valor por médicos de guardia para evaluar pacientes con posibleACV. Enfatizamos la necesidad de una mayor difusión de ellas a fin de mejorar el abordaje inicial de estos pacientes.(AU)

Introduction: In 2004, the most frequent cause of death in Argentina was cardiovascular disease, which almost duplicated all types of malignant neoplasm. Cerebrovascular disease caused 7.5% of total deaths. The American Heart Association proposes the use of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) and Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen (LAPSS) toevaluate patients with possible cerebrovascular disease. Objective: To evaluate the awareness of these scales knowledge among doctors working in emergency rooms and prehospitalconsultation, and what are their opinions about the usefulness of the scales.Material and method: Observational and prospective survey of 569 doctors from the Argentinian provinces of Santa Fe,Entre Rios, and Chaco from December 2008 to March 2009. Results: One third (32.3%) of doctors included in the mentioned survey declared to know the scales, although only 8.4% of them could enumerate CPSS points, 1.9% could enumerate LAPSS points and 0.7% remembered both CPSS andLAPSS points. Those who remembered either one or both scales felt safer evaluating a possible stroke (p= 0.02) while and no doctor who remembered LAPSS felt doubtful. Those who felt more hesitant where the doctors who adscribed more benefits to the scales (p= 0.0003). Non specialists considered scales more useful (p= 0.005). Overall, 89% of doctors admitted scales would benefit their practice. Conclusion: Both scales were highly valued by doctors on call in order to diagnose patients with possible stroke. We stress the need of a bigger widespread coverage of these scales in order to improve the initial approach for managing these patients.(AU)