Studies examine post-stroke care

Minority patients were more likely to undergo the four life-sustaining procedures – gastrostomy (feeding tube insertion), tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation and hermicraniectomy (to relieve pressure on the brain) – after stroke than white patients, according to a research letter published online by JAMA Neurology. But the odds of undergoing intravenous thrombolysis and carotid revascularization – those procedures with curative intent – were lower for minority patients, according to the results. The authors note clinical factors, such as stroke severity, stroke location and time to presentation, not captured in the data could partially explain their results. Another stroke-related study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that acute stroke treatment at a primary stroke center is associated with a seven-day and 30-day survival benefit compared to a non-certified center. The study authors suggest that admission to a PSC was associated with a 1.8% lower seven-day and 30-day death rate, although traveling at least 90 minutes to a PSC appears to offset any benefit of care there.