TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimising stroke outcomes through evidence-based nursing practice
T2 - An Australian perspective
AU - Jones, Jacqueline
AU - Stewart, Simon
PY - 2002/12/1
Y1 - 2002/12/1
N2 - Stroke is the third leading cause of death of people in the world today and the highest cause of disability and handicap, producing a huge burden on individuals and society more broadly. Yet unlike its counterpart acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little has been done to promote early intervention in evolving strokes. Recommendations from the American Heart Association and more recently the European Stroke Initiative are available; however, in Australia (as with many other countries) practice guidelines are scarce and clinicians largely operate in an ad hoc manner with little awareness of 'best practice'. The controversial role of thrombolysis with limitations in respect to selecting appropriate patients, in addition to a small window of opportunity for therapeutic beneficial effects and a high risk for haemorrhage, has inhibited its widespread application. As such, emergent stroke management clearly lags behind that of AMI - both with respect to the range of treatment options and the application of best practice. This paper reviews the literature regarding best practice management of evolving stroke and the crucial role of nurses in triaging and managing patients to deliver optimal outcomes within the Australian context.
AB - Stroke is the third leading cause of death of people in the world today and the highest cause of disability and handicap, producing a huge burden on individuals and society more broadly. Yet unlike its counterpart acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little has been done to promote early intervention in evolving strokes. Recommendations from the American Heart Association and more recently the European Stroke Initiative are available; however, in Australia (as with many other countries) practice guidelines are scarce and clinicians largely operate in an ad hoc manner with little awareness of 'best practice'. The controversial role of thrombolysis with limitations in respect to selecting appropriate patients, in addition to a small window of opportunity for therapeutic beneficial effects and a high risk for haemorrhage, has inhibited its widespread application. As such, emergent stroke management clearly lags behind that of AMI - both with respect to the range of treatment options and the application of best practice. This paper reviews the literature regarding best practice management of evolving stroke and the crucial role of nurses in triaging and managing patients to deliver optimal outcomes within the Australian context.
KW - Cardiovascular nursing
KW - Early intervention
KW - Evidence base
KW - Older people
KW - Stroke
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037829679&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1474-5151(02)00042-7
DO - 10.1016/S1474-5151(02)00042-7
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14622652
AN - SCOPUS:0037829679
VL - 1
SP - 227
EP - 235
JO - European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
JF - European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
SN - 1474-5151
IS - 4
ER -