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(Stroke. 2004;35:e22.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Research Report

Acute Ischemic Stroke in Hospitalized Medicare Patients

Evaluation and Treatment

Canopy Roychoudhury, PhD; Bradley S. Jacobs, MD; Patricia L. Baker, RN, MS; Daniel Schultz, MD; Rajendra H. Mehta, MD Steven R. Levine, MD

From Michigan Peer Review Organization (C.R., P.L.B., D.S., R.H.M.), Plymouth, Mich; Comprehensive Stroke Program (B.S.J.), Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Mich; and Stroke Program (S.R.L.), Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Correspondence to Canopy Roychoudhury, PhD, Michigan Peer Review Organization, 40600 Ann Arbor Rd, Suite 200, Plymouth, MI 48170. E-mail croychou{at}mpro.org

Background and Purpose— This study describes several quality indicators of care in hospitalized stroke patients in Michigan from 1998 to 1999.

Summary of Report— Median times from admission to head CT/MRI (89.5 minutes) and thrombolysis (113 minutes) exceeded recommended guidelines. Deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis was used in only 13.8% of eligible patients.

Conclusions— Timing for brain imaging and acute ischemic stroke symptom onset need to be better documented, along with more provider education for routine deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis.

Key Words: Medicare • quality of health care • stroke, acute