Response to stroke research in The Lancet

Stroke unit care associated with reduced risk of death and disability

Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association said:
"There is compelling evidence to show that stroke units, where stroke specialist from a variety of disciplines can provide acute and rehabilitation care, are the key to dramatically reducing deaths and disability from stroke.

"This new research, looking at people admitted to a stroke unit within 48 hours of their stroke, demonstrates just how important stroke units are. Deaths and disability from stroke are reduced by 20% when compared to ordinary hospital care.

"That's why The Stroke Association is campaigning to make sure that everyone who has a stroke gets admitted to an acute stroke unit straight away.

"Currently only half our hospitals have an acute stroke unit much more work is needed to make sure that stroke is always be treated as a medical emergency, and that all patients get specialist scanning, diagnosis and treatment as quickly as possible."


Study suggests thombolysis therapy with Alteplase could be used routinely for stroke treatment

Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association said:
"Clot busting treatment, thrombolysis, could benefit one in ten stroke patients. This latest evidence indicates that it is safe and effective emergency treatment for stroke and can make the difference between recovery and long-term disability.

"But the Sentinel Audit for Stroke (2006) revealed that just 0.2% of patients received thrombolytic treatment in England and Wales. This research recommends that thrombolysis should be “considered as part of the routine care of suitable stroke patients.

"The Stroke Association believes that in order to achieve that every suspected stroke patient should have access to brain scanning and diagnosis within three hours. We are campaigning to make sure that the Department of Health’s stroke strategy brings forwards recommendations to achieve this."


New prognostic instrument improves prediction of stroke risk After TIA

Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association said:
"If someone has a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), or mini stroke, caused by a part of the brain not getting enough blood, they are at a much higher risk of going on to have a major stroke. And depending on various factors, the risk is highest in the first 48 hours following a TIA.

"That's why having accurate and easy ways of assessing stroke risk following a TIA is so important. This new research builds upon the ABCD score which was developed with funding from The Stroke Association to more accurately predict someone’s risk of having a stroke.

"A TIA should always be treated as an emergency. Those at the highest risk of going on to a major stroke should be seen by a specialist within 24 hours, and everyone else should have access to a TIA clinic within a week to 14 days.

"The Stroke Association is actively working to ensure that the new National Stroke Strategy being developed by the Department of Health recommends urgent improvements in TIA diagnosis and treatment."


MRI better than CT for the detection of stroke

Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association said:
"Brain scanning is a vital tool in the diagnosis of stroke. Brains scans enable the clinician to see whether the stroke is caused by a clot or a bleed in the brain - vital knowledge to determine emergency and acute treatment.

"Almost every hospital in the UK has access to a CT scanner. This latest research shows that MRI scanning may be better because it can give clinicians a more detailed and accurate image of the brain and the type of stroke. It is possible that future investment in scanning equipment should favour MRI over CT.

"But the most pressing issue currently is not which type of scanning should be used, but that so many stroke patients wait for more than 24 or even 48 hours for their first brain scan.

"While the scanners are in place, staffing levels dictate that scanners lie idle outside normal working hours. Everyone with suspected stroke should have immediate access to brain imaging 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

"It is scandalous that stroke patients may miss out on a proper diagnosis and emergency treatment if their stroke happens out of normal working hours"
ENDS

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Notes to editor

1. Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days, about a third are likely to make a recovery within one month and about a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other medical condition. A quarter of a million people are living with long-term disability as a result of stroke in the UK.

2. The Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services. These include dysphasia support, family support, information services, welfare grants, publications and leaflets. We also campaign, educate and inform to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society and we act as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

3. A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Some strokes are caused by bleeding in or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, parts of the brain become damaged or destroyed. Some strokes are fatal whist others can cause permanent or temporary paralysis to one side of the body and loss of the ability to speak, read or write. Recovery may be slow and can vary from person to person.

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