Assessment of unilateral spatial neglect post stroke in Canadian acute care hospitals: are we neglecting neglect?
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence, timing and frequency of use of standardized and non-standardized assessments to detect unilateral spatial neglect in acute care patients post stroke.


METHODS
Multicentred, retrospective study on medical charts from 10 randomly selected acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada.


METHODS
Three hundred and twenty-four randomly selected medical charts of adult subjects with a primary diagnosis of stroke admitted in 2002 to the participating acute care hospitals.


RESULTS
Out of 248 subjects who should have been assessed, 38% received some form of unilateral spatial neglect assessment. Only 13% were assessed with a standardized assessment and of these, 4% within 48 h post stroke or within 48 h of the patient regaining consciousness as recommended by clinical practice guidelines for stroke. Bivariate analysis found significant associations between severity of cognitive impairment and being ever assessed, as well as between the severity of motor deficits of the upper extremity and being ever assessed.


CONCLUSIONS
Routine standardized assessment of unilateral spatial neglect during the acute care phase post stroke was not incorporated into daily practice in this study sample.
Menon-Nair
Anita
A
Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3630 Promenades Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y5. anita.menon-nair@mail.mcgill.ca
Korner-Bitensky
Nicol
N
Wood-Dauphinee
Sharon
S
Robertson
Elizabeth
E
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D009864:Ontario; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors