Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code

Background and purpose: Acute ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Prehospital emergency diagnosis and subsequent transfer of stroke patients to the nearest stroke center for starting an appropriate treatment are critical steps in stroke rescue chain...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maedeh Asna Ashari Amiri, Mahdi Rezai, Fatemeh Mohammadi, Samira Vaziri, Seyed Amir Tabibzadeh Dezfooli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences 2023-09-01
Series:Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-19012-en.pdf
_version_ 1797542599762903040
author Maedeh Asna Ashari Amiri
Mahdi Rezai
Fatemeh Mohammadi
Samira Vaziri
Seyed Amir Tabibzadeh Dezfooli
author_facet Maedeh Asna Ashari Amiri
Mahdi Rezai
Fatemeh Mohammadi
Samira Vaziri
Seyed Amir Tabibzadeh Dezfooli
author_sort Maedeh Asna Ashari Amiri
collection DOAJ
description Background and purpose: Acute ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Prehospital emergency diagnosis and subsequent transfer of stroke patients to the nearest stroke center for starting an appropriate treatment are critical steps in stroke rescue chain. In Iran, emergency medical technicians implement the SAMA code, following the diagnosis of acute stroke using FAST protocol, to manage the patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who were referred to the prehospital emergency department of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital with the announcement of the SAMA code in 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive predictive value of the prehospital emergency technicians in the announcement of the SAMA code. Results: Of the 95 patients referred with the SAMA code, 19 patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke (based on brain CT-scan) were excluded from the study. In 17.1% of the remaining 76 patients, diagnoses other than acute ischemic stroke were proposed. Ultimately, diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke was confirmed in 63 patients, and 25% of them were eligible for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, however, merely 5.26% of the eligible patients received the treatment. The positive predictive value of prehospital emergency service in referring patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke was determined to be 86.3%. Additionally, the positive predictive value for identifying acute cerebral stroke patients eligible for intravenous thrombolytic therapy was calculated to be 25%. Conclusion: This study revealed that prehospital emergency's positive predictive value for acute ischemic stroke identification was adequate. However, activating the SAMA code with greater diagnostic accuracy can save time and costs.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T13:32:51Z
format Article
id doaj.art-565bea8ee4b24a08a15cffb11f5d3ecc
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1735-9260
1735-9279
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T13:32:51Z
publishDate 2023-09-01
publisher Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
record_format Article
series Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
spelling doaj.art-565bea8ee4b24a08a15cffb11f5d3ecc2023-11-21T07:44:41ZengMazandaran University of Medical SciencesJournal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences1735-92601735-92792023-09-0133224163169Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke CodeMaedeh Asna Ashari Amiri0Mahdi Rezai1Fatemeh Mohammadi2Samira Vaziri3Seyed Amir Tabibzadeh Dezfooli4 Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran Univeirsity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran Univeirsity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran Univeirsity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran Univeirsity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran Univeirsity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Background and purpose: Acute ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Prehospital emergency diagnosis and subsequent transfer of stroke patients to the nearest stroke center for starting an appropriate treatment are critical steps in stroke rescue chain. In Iran, emergency medical technicians implement the SAMA code, following the diagnosis of acute stroke using FAST protocol, to manage the patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who were referred to the prehospital emergency department of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital with the announcement of the SAMA code in 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive predictive value of the prehospital emergency technicians in the announcement of the SAMA code. Results: Of the 95 patients referred with the SAMA code, 19 patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke (based on brain CT-scan) were excluded from the study. In 17.1% of the remaining 76 patients, diagnoses other than acute ischemic stroke were proposed. Ultimately, diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke was confirmed in 63 patients, and 25% of them were eligible for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, however, merely 5.26% of the eligible patients received the treatment. The positive predictive value of prehospital emergency service in referring patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke was determined to be 86.3%. Additionally, the positive predictive value for identifying acute cerebral stroke patients eligible for intravenous thrombolytic therapy was calculated to be 25%. Conclusion: This study revealed that prehospital emergency's positive predictive value for acute ischemic stroke identification was adequate. However, activating the SAMA code with greater diagnostic accuracy can save time and costs.http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-19012-en.pdfacute ischemic strokesama codeaccuracyprehospital emergency services
spellingShingle Maedeh Asna Ashari Amiri
Mahdi Rezai
Fatemeh Mohammadi
Samira Vaziri
Seyed Amir Tabibzadeh Dezfooli
Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
acute ischemic stroke
sama code
accuracy
prehospital emergency services
title Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
title_full Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
title_fullStr Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
title_full_unstemmed Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
title_short Accuracy of Prehospital Emergency Service in Activating Acute Stroke Code
title_sort accuracy of prehospital emergency service in activating acute stroke code
topic acute ischemic stroke
sama code
accuracy
prehospital emergency services
url http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-19012-en.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT maedehasnaashariamiri accuracyofprehospitalemergencyserviceinactivatingacutestrokecode
AT mahdirezai accuracyofprehospitalemergencyserviceinactivatingacutestrokecode
AT fatemehmohammadi accuracyofprehospitalemergencyserviceinactivatingacutestrokecode
AT samiravaziri accuracyofprehospitalemergencyserviceinactivatingacutestrokecode
AT seyedamirtabibzadehdezfooli accuracyofprehospitalemergencyserviceinactivatingacutestrokecode