Stroke Horizon Scanning Bulletin Volume 3 Issue 1

Antidepressant could aid stroke victims

Source: The Telegraph

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: News Item

In a nutshell: A new study suggests that a commonly-prescribed antidepressant could help stroke victims recover physical control over their bodies. A study of 118 French patients who had suffered acute ischaemic stroke showed that the half given the drug fluoxetine, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), were more likely to recover better.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Some important notes: The original article on which these comments are based can be accessed here.

Stroke care study backs more nursing staff

Source: Nursing Times.net

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: News Item

In a nutshell: A Royal College of Physicians analysis carried out for Nursing Times has revealed that nurse to bed ratios in trusts providing the highest standards of stroke care were almost twice those of trusts whose care had been assessed as having the lowest standards. The unpublished statistics were extracted from last year’s RCP national sentinel audit.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Processes of care and medical complications in patients with stroke

Source: Stroke 2011 Jan; 42 (1): 167-172

Follow this link for abstract

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: This study examines the relationship between processes of care and the risk of medical complications in patients with stroke. The examined processes include early admission to a stroke unit, early initiation of antiplatelet or oral anticoagulant therapy, early CT/MRI scan, and early assessment by a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist.

Length of publication: 6 page article

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library for the full text of this article. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Supporting life after stroke: a review of services for people who have had a stroke and their carers

Source: Care Quality Commission

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Review

In a nutshell: This review from the CQC looks at the ‘pathway’ of care provided to people who have experienced a stroke or a mini-stroke and their carers. The commission reviewed the performance of all 151 primary care trusts on the aftercare services for stroke patients. The review concludes that the extent to which patients are supported in coping with life after stroke varies significantly across England.

Length of publication: 32 pages

Stroke thrombolysis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: how much do we do and how much do we need?

Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2011 Jan; 82 (1): 14-19

Follow this link for abstract

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: This study reports national level data covering all UK hospitals and describes potential requirements for stroke thrombolysis. The study aims to establish the proportion of patients receiving thrombolysis and compares this to the proportion that could benefit.

Length of publication: 6 page article

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library for the full text of this article. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Road traffic noise and stroke: a prospective cohort study

Source: European Heart Journal 2011 Jan 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: A new study from the European Heart Journal has found that exposure to noise from road traffic can increase the risk of stroke in the over 65s. The prospective cohort study looked at 57,000 people in Copenhagen and Aarhus who were aged between 50 and followed them for an average of 10 years. For every 10 decibel increase in noise, the risk of stroke among that age group increased by more than a quarter.

Length of publication: 8 page article

Remote control: The patient-practitioner relationship in a digital age

Source: NHS Confederation

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: This report considers the issues surrounding remotely delivered healthcare within the NHS. As an increasingly digital society changes the nature of one-to-one relationships, the report asks whether health technology will involve patients more or exclude them further.

Length of publication: 24 pages

Thousands at risk of stroke as Britons fail to keep their fingers on the pulse

Source: The Stroke Association

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Press release

In a nutshell: New research conducted for The Stroke Association by Ipsos MORI has revealed that thousands of people could be at risk of stroke in the UK due to low public awareness of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Length of publication: 1 page

Strong painkillers increase risk of heart or stroke death

Source: The Telegraph

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: News Item

In a nutshell: A new study suggests that commonly used painkillers can increase the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by fourfold. The analysis, conducted by a team at Bern University, evaluated 31 studies involving over 116,000 patients who took the painkillers regularly, mostly for arthritis pain.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Some important notes: The original article on which these comments are based can be viewed here.

Blood sugar and a protein combine to increase bleeds

Source: BBC

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: News Item

In a nutshell: US scientists have discovered one reason why people with diabetes can suffer more damage during strokes. A new study has identified a protein that can increase bleeding when blood sugar levels are high.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Some important notes: The original article on which these comments are based can be accessed here.

UK in Danger of Stroke as Stress Levels Rise

Source: The Stroke Association

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: News Item

In a nutshell: New research has revealed that an alarming number of British adults could be at an extreme risk of stroke, due to rising stress levels. The study was undertaken by The Stroke Association in conjunction with Siemens, ahead of the nationwide Stroke for Stroke week.

Length of publication: 1 page news item