Rizos, Timolaos;
Jenetzky, Ekkehart;
Nabavi, Darius Günther;
Haeusler, Karl Georg;
Wachter, Rolf;
Ossenbrink, Martin;
Ringleb, Peter Arthur;
Busse, Otto
Echocardiography in acute stroke patients: a nationwide analysis in departments with certified stroke units in Germany
You can manage bookmarks using lists, please log in to your user account for this.
Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Echocardiography in acute stroke patients: a nationwide analysis in departments with certified stroke units in Germany
Contributor:
Rizos, Timolaos;
Jenetzky, Ekkehart;
Nabavi, Darius Günther;
Haeusler, Karl Georg;
Wachter, Rolf;
Ossenbrink, Martin;
Ringleb, Peter Arthur;
Busse, Otto
imprint:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023
Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec>
<jats:title>Background</jats:title>
<jats:p>Echocardiography is highly relevant in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA. Utilization of routine echocardiographic examinations [transthoracic (TTE) or transesophageal (TEE)] on stroke units remains however unknown. To representatively examine echocardiographic rates on stroke units in Germany and to evaluate structural factors that may influence the decision to conduct echocardiography.
</jats:p>
</jats:sec><jats:sec>
<jats:title>Methods</jats:title>
<jats:p>A nationwide analysis was performed by using certification audit data of all primary and comprehensive stroke centers (pSC and cSC) in Germany.
</jats:p>
</jats:sec><jats:sec>
<jats:title>Results</jats:title>
<jats:p>Structural and organizational requirements of 310 departments (cSCs: 42.6%) were extracted. Median TTE rate was 63.3% (IQR 39.3–80.8), median TEE rate 21.3% (IQR 16.4–29.5). A cardiological department on site was present in 74.2%, and they were associated with higher TEE rates. TTE rates decreased with increasing numbers of patients (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.026). Likewise, TEE rates decreased with increasing numbers of patients (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.006), mediated by departments with cSCs (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.008 for cSCs vs <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.230 for pSCs). TTE rates were far more inhomogeneously distributed than TEE rates and higher in pSCs (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.011). Overall, 12.9% of centers did not perform any echocardiographic examination in at least 50% of all stroke patients.</jats:p>
</jats:sec><jats:sec>
<jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title>
<jats:p>More detailed recommendations regarding echocardiography should be included in future guidelines. Moreover, evaluating the impact of echocardiographic examinations on long-term prognosis in stroke patients should be focus of further evaluations.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>