O uso intravenoso do ativador tecidual do plasminogênio está aprovado para o tratamento do acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico há alguns anos e estão publicadas diretrizes e recomendações para o seu uso. O atendimento hospitalar precisa ser organizado a fim de tornar esse tratamento exeqüível e seguro, alcançando os resultados esperados. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a exeqüibilidade e a segurança do tratamento trombolítico intravenoso nos pacientes tratados pela Clínica Neurológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, assim como avaliar as características desses pacientes, sua evolução clínica, as complicações do tratamento e os preditores prognósticos. Também foi avaliado o desempenho do atendimento hospitalar, através da análise do tempo das diversas etapas do atendimento, em quatro diferentes grupos de pacientes com base no local do primeiro atendimento médico. Foram tratados 51 pacientes entre Junho de 1998 e Agosto de 2005, primeiramente atendidos no Pronto Socorro de Neurologia (22 pacientes), Instituto do Coração (22 pacientes) e enfermarias do Instituto Central do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (3 pacientes), assim como no Hospital Universitário (4 pacientes). Os tempos do atendimento, representados por suas respectivas medianas, foram: entre o ictus e a admissão (55 minutos); entre a admissão e a análise da tomografia computadorizada de crânio (35 minutos); entre a admissão e o início do tratamento trombolítico (90 minutos) e entre o ictus e o início do tratamento trombolítico (160 minutos). De uma maneira geral, o desempenho do atendimento melhorou durante o período do estudo. Entretanto, a análise comparativa dos grupos revelou que os tempos entre a admissão e a análise da tomografia computadorizada de crânio e entre a admissão e o início do tratamento trombolítico foram maiores no Instituto do Coração (p = 0,002 e p = 0,01, respectivamente) do que no Pronto Socorro de Neurologia e Hospital Universitário. O principal mecanismo causador do acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico foi embolia de origem cardíaca (54%). A maioria dos pacientes tratados chegou ao hospital com déficits neurológicos graves (mediana 17 na Escala de AVC do NIH). Resultado funcional excelente em 3 meses, definido como pontuações 0 ou 1 na Escala de Rankin modificada, foi observado em 29% dos casos e hemorragia cerebral sintomática em 6% dos casos. Em conclusão, o tratamento trombolítico intravenoso com ativador tecidual do plasminogênio no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo foi exeqüível e seguro. A intensidade do déficit neurológico na admissão, mensurada pela Escala de AVC do NIH e a redução igual ou maior que quatro pontos nesta escala em 24 horas foram preditores prognósticos independentes. / Intravenous use of tissue plasminogen activator has been approved for acute ischemic stroke treatment for some years and guidelines and recommendations about its use have been published. Hospital attendance needs to be organized in order to become this treatment feasible and safe, reaching the expected results. The objective of this study was verify feasibility and safety of intravenous thrombolytic therapy in patients who were treated at Neurology Department of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo as well evaluating characteristics of these patients, their clinical outcome, complications of therapy and outcome predictors. Hospital attendance performance was also evaluated through time analysis of several steps of attendance in four different patient groups based on the place of the first medical attendance. Fifty one patients were treated between June 1998 and August 2005, primarily attended at Neurology Emergency Department (22 patients), Heart Institute (22 patients) and wards of Central Institute of Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (3 patients) as well at University Hospital (4 patients). Attendance times, represented by its median were: between symptoms onset and hospital admission (55 minutes); between hospital admission and computed cranial tomography analysis (35 minutes); between hospital admission and thrombolytic therapy onset (90 minutes) and between symptoms onset and thrombolytic therapy onset (160 minutes). As a general rule, hospital attendance performance improved during study period. However, comparative analysis of groups disclosed that time between hospital admission and computed cranial tomography analysis as well time between hospital admission and thrombolytic therapy onset were longer at Heart Institute (p = 0,002 and p = 0,01, respectively) than at Neurology Emergency Department and University Hospital. The main acute ischemic stroke mechanism was cardiac emboli (54%). Most of treated patients arrived at hospital with serious neurologic impairment (NIH Stroke Scale median 17). Excellent functional outcome in 3 months, defined as scoring 0 or 1 by modified Rankin Scale was observed in 29% and symptomatic cerebral hemorrhage in 6% of the cases. In conclusion, intravenous thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator at Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo was feasible and safe. The intensity of the neurological impairment at hospital admission, as measured by NIH Stroke Scale, and four-point or more score reduction on this scale at 24 hours were independent outcome predictors.

L'IRM joue un rôle important dans l'évaluation de l'AVC ischémique et la détermination des stratégies de traitement. L'IRM de diffusion et l’IRM de perfusion sont deux séquences essentielles dans l'évaluation de l'AVC ischémique. L'objectif principal de ce travail était d'explorer le rôle prédictif de l'IRM dans l'AVC ischémique, y compris le rôle des paramètres dérivés de l'IRM dans la prédiction de la viabilité des tissus ; la relation entre le volume lésionnel ischémique pré-traitement et le résultat fonctionnel ainsi que l'efficacité de la thrombectomie mécanique ; l'impact de la localisation ischémique pré-traitement sur le résultat fonctionnel après une thrombectomie mécanique. Nos résultats ont montré que le coefficient de diffusion apparent et le débit sanguin cérébral relatif étaient des candidats potentiels pour prédire la viabilité des tissus ; le volume lésionnel de prétraitement était un prédicteur indépendant pour le résultat fonctionnel ; le bénéfice clinique de l'adjonction de la thrombectomie mécanique à la thrombolyse diminuait avec l'augmentation du volume lésionnel; les patients ayant un gros volume lésionnel peuvent encore bénéficier du traitement ; la localisation ischémique a fourni également des informations pronostics importantes pour le résultat fonctionnel. Les résultats globaux de la thèse ont permis de mieux comprendre le rôle de l'IRM dans l'évaluation de l'AVC ischémique aigu, en particulier chez les patients traités par thrombectomie mécanique. Notre travail a fourni une nouvelle perspective dans l'application clinique de l'IRM et a permis de suggérer de futures recherches sur l'imagerie cérébrale ischémique / MRI plays an important role in evaluating ischemic stroke and determining the treatment strategies. Diffusion weighted imaging and perfusion weighted imaging are two essential sequences in ischemic stroke assessment. The principal objective of this work was to study the predictive role of MRI in ischemic stroke, including the role of MRI-derived parameters in tissue viability prediction; the relationship of the ischemic lesional volume and the functional outcome and mechanical thrombectomy efficacy; and the impact of the pretreatment ischemic location on functional outcome after mechanical thrombectomy. Our results suggested that apparent diffusion coefficient and relative cerebral blood flow were potential candidates to predict tissue viability; pretreatment lesional volume was an independent predictor for functional outcome; the clinical benefit of adding mechanical thrombectomy to thrombolysis decreased with the increase of lesional volume; however, patients with large lesional volume could still benefit from reperfusion treatment; the pretreatment ischemic location provided important prognostic information for functional outcome. The overall results of the thesis provided a better understanding of the role of MRI in acute ischemic stroke assessment, especially in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Our work provided new perspective in clinical application of MRI and suggested future research of ischemic stroke imaging

O uso intravenoso do ativador tecidual do plasminogênio está aprovado para o tratamento do acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico há alguns anos e estão publicadas diretrizes e recomendações para o seu uso. O atendimento hospitalar precisa ser organizado a fim de tornar esse tratamento exeqüível e seguro, alcançando os resultados esperados. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a exeqüibilidade e a segurança do tratamento trombolítico intravenoso nos pacientes tratados pela Clínica Neurológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, assim como avaliar as características desses pacientes, sua evolução clínica, as complicações do tratamento e os preditores prognósticos. Também foi avaliado o desempenho do atendimento hospitalar, através da análise do tempo das diversas etapas do atendimento, em quatro diferentes grupos de pacientes com base no local do primeiro atendimento médico. Foram tratados 51 pacientes entre Junho de 1998 e Agosto de 2005, primeiramente atendidos no Pronto Socorro de Neurologia (22 pacientes), Instituto do Coração (22 pacientes) e enfermarias do Instituto Central do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (3 pacientes), assim como no Hospital Universitário (4 pacientes). Os tempos do atendimento, representados por suas respectivas medianas, foram: entre o ictus e a admissão (55 minutos); entre a admissão e a análise da tomografia computadorizada de crânio (35 minutos); entre a admissão e o início do tratamento trombolítico (90 minutos) e entre o ictus e o início do tratamento trombolítico (160 minutos). De uma maneira geral, o desempenho do atendimento melhorou durante o período do estudo. Entretanto, a análise comparativa dos grupos revelou que os tempos entre a admissão e a análise da tomografia computadorizada de crânio e entre a admissão e o início do tratamento trombolítico foram maiores no Instituto do Coração (p = 0,002 e p = 0,01, respectivamente) do que no Pronto Socorro de Neurologia e Hospital Universitário. O principal mecanismo causador do acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico foi embolia de origem cardíaca (54%). A maioria dos pacientes tratados chegou ao hospital com déficits neurológicos graves (mediana 17 na Escala de AVC do NIH). Resultado funcional excelente em 3 meses, definido como pontuações 0 ou 1 na Escala de Rankin modificada, foi observado em 29% dos casos e hemorragia cerebral sintomática em 6% dos casos. Em conclusão, o tratamento trombolítico intravenoso com ativador tecidual do plasminogênio no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo foi exeqüível e seguro. A intensidade do déficit neurológico na admissão, mensurada pela Escala de AVC do NIH e a redução igual ou maior que quatro pontos nesta escala em 24 horas foram preditores prognósticos independentes. / Intravenous use of tissue plasminogen activator has been approved for acute ischemic stroke treatment for some years and guidelines and recommendations about its use have been published. Hospital attendance needs to be organized in order to become this treatment feasible and safe, reaching the expected results. The objective of this study was verify feasibility and safety of intravenous thrombolytic therapy in patients who were treated at Neurology Department of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo as well evaluating characteristics of these patients, their clinical outcome, complications of therapy and outcome predictors. Hospital attendance performance was also evaluated through time analysis of several steps of attendance in four different patient groups based on the place of the first medical attendance. Fifty one patients were treated between June 1998 and August 2005, primarily attended at Neurology Emergency Department (22 patients), Heart Institute (22 patients) and wards of Central Institute of Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (3 patients) as well at University Hospital (4 patients). Attendance times, represented by its median were: between symptoms onset and hospital admission (55 minutes); between hospital admission and computed cranial tomography analysis (35 minutes); between hospital admission and thrombolytic therapy onset (90 minutes) and between symptoms onset and thrombolytic therapy onset (160 minutes). As a general rule, hospital attendance performance improved during study period. However, comparative analysis of groups disclosed that time between hospital admission and computed cranial tomography analysis as well time between hospital admission and thrombolytic therapy onset were longer at Heart Institute (p = 0,002 and p = 0,01, respectively) than at Neurology Emergency Department and University Hospital. The main acute ischemic stroke mechanism was cardiac emboli (54%). Most of treated patients arrived at hospital with serious neurologic impairment (NIH Stroke Scale median 17). Excellent functional outcome in 3 months, defined as scoring 0 or 1 by modified Rankin Scale was observed in 29% and symptomatic cerebral hemorrhage in 6% of the cases. In conclusion, intravenous thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator at Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo was feasible and safe. The intensity of the neurological impairment at hospital admission, as measured by NIH Stroke Scale, and four-point or more score reduction on this scale at 24 hours were independent outcome predictors.

This study addresses the specific barriers related to time delays in the treatment of patients who suffered acute myocardial infarction at the Al Ain Hospital accident and emergency unit in the United Arab Emirates. A comprehensive background of the UAE is given for the benefit of students who have limited access to the background and challenges facing medical and nursing personnel in providing thrombolythic therapy to patients who suffered from acute myocardial infarction. The study will contribute to the continuous quality management and improvement of overall nursing and medical care of the AMI patient who is eligible for thrombolysis. An extensive literature review addresses the clinical manifestations and treatment of the patient suffering from AMI as well as the adverse effects of time delays in treatment during the acute phase of the disease. The researcher selected a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive and retrospective study. Data was collected by a structured instrument to gather the desired responses from the files of 457 selected patients admitted to the Al Ain Hospital. This study emphasizes the need to improve patient care by all health care personnel in an accident and emergency unit to prevent the delays in treatment in life threatening conditions such as myocardial infarction ensuring optimal and prompt time to thrombolyse. The improvement of awareness and commitment by health care providers such as nurses, doctors and ambulance personnel, can be achieved through education and training, commitment and dedication, absolute cooperation, collaboration and constant update on performance. Regular audits are essential with regard to door-to-needle time and performance of all health care providers. This study ultimately show that time constrains in attending to patients presenting with myocardial infarction should be addressed in utmost urgency. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

This study addresses the specific barriers related to time delays in the treatment of patients who suffered acute myocardial infarction at the Al Ain Hospital accident and emergency unit in the United Arab Emirates. A comprehensive background of the UAE is given for the benefit of students who have limited access to the background and challenges facing medical and nursing personnel in providing thrombolythic therapy to patients who suffered from acute myocardial infarction. The study will contribute to the continuous quality management and improvement of overall nursing and medical care of the AMI patient who is eligible for thrombolysis. An extensive literature review addresses the clinical manifestations and treatment of the patient suffering from AMI as well as the adverse effects of time delays in treatment during the acute phase of the disease. The researcher selected a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive and retrospective study. Data was collected by a structured instrument to gather the desired responses from the files of 457 selected patients admitted to the Al Ain Hospital. This study emphasizes the need to improve patient care by all health care personnel in an accident and emergency unit to prevent the delays in treatment in life threatening conditions such as myocardial infarction ensuring optimal and prompt time to thrombolyse. The improvement of awareness and commitment by health care providers such as nurses, doctors and ambulance personnel, can be achieved through education and training, commitment and dedication, absolute cooperation, collaboration and constant update on performance. Regular audits are essential with regard to door-to-needle time and performance of all health care providers. This study ultimately show that time constrains in attending to patients presenting with myocardial infarction should be addressed in utmost urgency. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)