title: Time from hospital admission to CT brain in acute ischaemic stroke.
abstract: A retrospective study of all acute ischaemic stroke patients admitted to Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar (MRHM) between January 2004 and September 2009 was undertaken in order to assess the median time from hospital admission to CT brain scan (n = 496). The median time to CT scan ranged from 19-24 hours between 2004-7. In 2008, coinciding with setting up a new Acute Stroke Service (ACSS), the median time to CT scan dropped to 15 hours (n = 130, p =0.03) and decreased further to 3 hours in 2009 (n = 125, p = 0.003). The proportion scanned within 1 hour of admission increased from 7 patients (4.6%) over 2004-7, to 28 patients (21.5%) in 2008 (p = 0) and 44 patients (35%) in 2009 (p = 0.018). This clinically and statistically significant reduction occurred following reorganisation of existing resources on a budget neutral basis at MRHM and was facilitated by the enthusiastic support of a range of disciplines bridging the community and acute hospital interface. Measurement of admission to CT brain scan time is one of several audit parameters which can assess hospitals responsiveness to acute stroke.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mulroy
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Murphy
authors: S P T
authors: SP
authors: Murphy
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Marsden
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Fallon
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed