Latest study suggests that patients suffering with hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleeds) have higher survival odds if treated at a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) in comparison to primary stroke center and other hospitals.
Medical experts suggest that hemorrhagic strokes accounts for around 13 percent of strokes. This type of stroke begins when a weak brain blood vessel ruptures, resulting in bleeds in the nearby region. CSCs have trained and specialized personnel to manage such medical conditions, which results in the reduction of mortality rate.
"CSCs provide a full spectrum of neurological and neurosurgical services to treat complex stroke patients. CSCs have been shown to improve clinical outcomes and mitigate disparities in ischemic stroke patients. It is believed that CSCs also improve outcomes in hemorrhagic stroke," per the study.
The latest study was conducted by researchers at the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University hospital, who studied data from 1996 to 2012 of about 37,000 people across 87 New Jersey hospitals. The study found that 40 percent of all stroke patients were treated at CSC, while the rest was treated at non-stroke centers.
The mortality rate of patients treated at CSC in 90 days was reduced overall by 7 percent. The reduction in risk was higher in patients who suffered strokes because of aneurysm. Patients suffering with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), who were treated at CSCs had mortality rate reduced by 27 percent.
Many patients suffering with hemorrhagic strokes are initially diagnosed at a non-stroke center and then moved to a CSC for specialized treatment. The study also found that if patients are moved to CSCs within 24 hours then the mortality rate is reduced by 36 percent in 90 days.
"Clinicians, especially emergency-room physicians, need to be aware of the severity and potential implications of hemorrhagic stroke and try to transfer patients to the hospital most capable of providing the full complement of care," says James McKinney, the lead author of the study.
McKinney also suggests that family members, who get their loves ones with hemorrhagic stroke admitted to a non-stroke center, should ask doctors about the possibility of transfer to a CSC.
The study has been published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).
Photo: Lucas Hayas | Flickr
