title: Diagnostic delays in paediatric stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is a major cause of mortality in children. Conditions that mimic stroke also cause severe morbidity and require prompt diagnosis and treatment. We have investigated the time to diagnosis in a cohort of children with stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based cohort of children with stroke was prospectively identified in the south of England. Case notes, electronic hospital admission databases and radiology records were reviewed. Timing of symptom onset, presentation to hospital, first neuroimaging, first diagnostic neuroimaging and presenting clinical features were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-six children with an arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS) and 43 with a haemorrhagic stroke (HS) were identified. The median time from symptom onset to diagnostic neuroimaging was 24.3 h in AIS and 2.9 h in HS. The initial imaging modality was CT in 68% of cases of AIS. CT was diagnostic of AIS in 66% of cases. MRI was diagnostic in 100%. If initial neuroimaging was non-diagnostic in AIS, then median time to diagnosis was 44 h. CT was diagnostic in 95% of HS cases. Presentation outside normal working hours resulted in delayed neuroimaging in AIS (13 vs 3 h, p=0.032). Diffuse neurological signs or a Glasgow Coma Scale <9 resulted in more expeditious neuroimaging in both HS and AIS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of AIS in children is delayed at every stage of the pathway but most profoundly when the first neuroimaging is CT scanning, which is non-diagnostic. MRI should be the initial imaging modality of choice in any suspected case of childhood AIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Vijeya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK Department of Child Health, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Fenella J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kirkham
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fallon
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina Children's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hedderly
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McShane
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Alasdair P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Evangeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wassmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina Children's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wraige
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Hannah B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Finbar J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE; MRI; PAEDIATRIC; PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY; STROKE