title: Validation of Diagnoses of Transient Ischemic Attack in the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) TIA-Module.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2010, the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke; RS) established a module for transient ischemic attacks (RS-TIA). We report a diagnostic validation study of patients included in RS-TIA.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the first year, 7,825 patients were registered at 59 out of 74 Swedish hospitals. A time-based TIA definition was applied. A sample of 180 patients (30 patients each from 6 hospitals), with a similar distribution of age and sex as in RS-TIA, was prepared. Two independent observers assessed medical records for quality of documentation and assigned a diagnosis of likely, possible, unlikely TIA or ischemic stroke, according to prespecified criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 2 observers agreed in 77% of cases that the event was a likely or possible TIA, in 3% that the event was an ischemic stroke, and in 2% that the event was an unlikely TIA. The observers disagreed in 8% of patients on TIA vs. ischemic stroke, and in 11% on a vascular vs. non-vascular cause. Quality of documentation was fair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was interobserver agreement on diagnosis of TIA in the majority of patients included in RS-TIA. Diagnostic accuracy may be further improved by more systematic documentation of symptoms and signs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buchwald
authors.forename: Jakob O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ström
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Norrving
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petersson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013548:Sweden