PRE-HOSPITAL ASSESSMENT OF SUCCESS AND VALIDITY OF SCALES OF STROKE AND TIA

Abstract

Introduction: cerebrovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in argentin in 2004, it cause 7.5% of total deaths. The American Heart Association proposes using Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) and Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen (LAPSS) to evaluate cerebrovascular cases.

Objective: is to evaluate the awareness of knowledge of these scales between doctors working in emergency rooms and prehospital consultation and range of usefulness of these scales.

Material and Method: Observational and prospective survey of 569 doctors from the Argentinian provinces of Santa Fe, Rios, and Chaco from December 2008 to March 2009.

Results: One third of doctors declared to know the scales, but 8.4% could enumerate CPSS points, while 1.9% could enumerate LAPSS points with 0.7% remembered both CPSS and LAPSS points. Those who remembered either one or both scales felt safer evaluating a possible stroke (p= 0.02) .Those who felt more hesitant where the doctors who a described more benefits to the scales (p= 0.0003). Non specialists considered scales more useful

Conclusion: Both scales were valued by doctors to diagnose patients with possible stroke. We try to stress the need of a  widespread coverage of these scales to improve the initial approach for managing these patients.

Keywords: stroke, Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen, Pre-hospital Stroke Scale, emergency room, doctors on call.