Acute stroke: treatment standards should be further improved
- Date:
- December 3, 2014
- Source:
- Deutsches Aerzteblatt International
- Summary:
- The consequences for those affected by stroke are dramatic: fewer than six in every 10 patients leave the hospital with a positive prognosis after a stroke. The others will have disabilities three months post-stroke or will have died. High-quality acute treatment is therefore crucially important. In a new article, experts document the quality of treatment of patients with acute stroke on the basis of case data from participating hospitals.
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Stroke is one of the most common disorders in Germany, with more than 250,000 cases every year. The consequences for those affected are dramatic: fewer than six in every 10 patients leave the hospital with a positive prognosis after a stroke. The others will have disabilities three months post-stroke or will have died. High-quality acute treatment is therefore crucially important. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, the German Stroke Registers Study Group (ADSR) documents the quality of treatment of patients with acute stroke on the basis of case data from participating hospitals. The current study reported by Silke Wiedmann and colleagues shows to what extent the ADSR's quality indicators were put into practice in 2012.
To this end, they investigated the disease course of more than 260,000 patients from 627 hospitals nationwide, which represents an estimated 70% of all stroke cases in Germany. The study shows that in many areas, stroke patients received very good treatment, and that in the international comparison, a similar or even better quality is achieved in Germany. In some areas, the targeted treatment quality is not fully realized -- for example, in the administration of anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation, screening for dysphagia, or the provision of information to patients or their relatives. The authors therefore recommend implementing consistent standards throughout Germany.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Wiedmann S, Heuschmann PU, Hillmann S, Busse O, Wiethölter H, Walter GM, Seidel G, Misselwitz B, Janssen A, Berger K, Burmeister C, Matthis C, Kolominsky-Rabas P, Hermanek P. The quality of acute stroke care—an analysis of evidence-based indicators in 260 000 Patients. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, December 2014; 111: 759%u201365
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