Current emergency department management of stroke in Houston, Texas

This study describes emergency department (ED) management of stroke in Houston, Tex, in 1992 to identify delays and deficiencies in recognition and management of stroke patients in various hospital subtypes and to quantitate the impact of a rapid response stroke team.

ED logs of eight hospitals were retrospectively screened, and 112 patients with suspected acute stroke onset within 6 hours were identified. EDs were divided into four groups based on hospital size (175 to 979 beds), acuity, number of stroke admissions (50/y to 210/y), and availability of neurological consultations. The intervals from stroke onset to triage, examination by a physician, neurological evaluation, computed tomography (CT) and other tests, vital signs, and treatments were recorded.

The average time from stroke to ED arrival was 115 minutes, and times from ED arrival to examination by a physician and CT scan were 28 and 100 minutes, respectively, with little variability among hospital groups except that the public hospital was slower. Neurological examinations were poorly documented in community and public hospitals. The presence of a stroke team shortened the time to examination by a physician and to CT by 13 and 63 minutes, respectively, and increased the number of patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Blood pressure was excessively lowered in 31% of hypertensive patients, and hypotonic dextrose intravenous fluids were given to 69% of all patients.

Transport, initial evaluation, and ED care of acute stroke patients are currently slow and often inexpert in all types of hospitals. A stroke team can speed initial ED management.