RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Description and evaluation of an acute stroke unit
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 655
OP 660
VO 167
IS 6
A1 Stephen J. Phillips
A1 Gail A. Eskes
A1 Gordon J. Gubitz
A1 on behalf of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Acute Stroke Team
YR 2002
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/167/6/655.abstract
AB CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE SUPERIORITY OF COORDINATED interdisciplinary stroke unit care over conventional treatment of stroke patients on general medical wards. The evidence is so strong that several national bodies have recommended that stroke unit care be widely implemented. Translation of these research findings and care guidelines into clinical practice, however, represents a challenge for health care systems unaccustomed to managing stroke in a coordinated manner. This report describes the organization, operation and outcomes of the Acute Stroke Unit at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. By replicating and adapting the core characteristics identified in the randomized trials, we have been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of stroke unit care in a routine clinical setting. Our experience may help facilitate the development of organized stroke care in Canada.