BACKGROUND We evaluated the process of changing from conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to totally arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass (TOPCAB) at a single heart center in Germany. METHODS We (1) used multivariate statistical methods to assess real-time monitoring of OPCAB effects, (2) conducted a case review to assess preventable deaths and identify areas of improvement...

PURPOSE The aim of this guideline is to provide a synopsis of best clinical practices in the rehabilitative care of adults recovering from stroke. METHODS Writing group members were nominated by the committee chair on the basis of their previous work in relevant topic areas and were approved by the American Heart Association (AHA) Stroke Council's Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and ...

BACKGROUND Stroke patients conventionally receive a substantial part of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have now been developed which offer patients in hospital an early discharge with community-based rehabilitation (early supported discharge, ESD). OBJECTIVES The objective of this review is to establish the costs and effects of ESD services compared with conventional services. S...

BACKGROUND There are limited data on the effectiveness of organized stroke care in different ischemic stroke subtypes in the real-world setting. We analyzed the effect of organized stroke care in all stroke subtypes in a longitudinal cohort study using data from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. METHODS Between July 2003 and September 2007, there were 6,223 consecutive patients wit...

Purpose—The aim of this guideline is to provide a synopsis of best clinical practices in the rehabilitative care of adults recovering from stroke. Methods—Writing group members were nominated by the committee chair on the basis of their previous work in relevant topic areas and were approved by the American Heart Association (AHA) Stroke Council’s Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and th...

BACKGROUND For mild-to-moderate stroke survivors, early supported discharge from hospital, followed by home rehabilitation is preferred over conventional care. How this mode of service contributes to recovery from stroke survivors' perspective needs further investigation. AIM The aim of this study was to explore mild-to-moderate stroke survivors' experiences with home rehabilitation after ear...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Research evidence supporting Early Supported Discharge (ESD) services has been summarized in a Cochrane Systematic Review. Trials have shown that ESD can reduce long-term dependency and admission to institutional care and reduce the length of hospital stay. No adverse impact on the mood or well-being of patients or carers has been reported. With the implementation of many...

We have read with great interest the Advances in Stroke 2007 subsection in February’s issue of Stroke and congratulate Dr Fisher for nicely amalgamating articles addressing some of the most pressing advances and shortcomings in stroke management over the past year.1 Although advances in interventional approaches to stroke and neurovascular disease were nicely outlined,1,2 we noticed little emph...

Background: Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability reorganise and change in response experience or after brain damage. is an imperative component of recovery from stroke, rehabilitation aims capitalise on this during a patient's recovery. Aims: To highlight role neuroplasticity stroke explore how nursing can use it. Methods: The paper narrative review literature Findings: Nurses play piv...

BACKGROUND Two thirds of survivors will achieve independent ambulation after a stroke, but less than half will recover upper limb function. There is strong evidence to support intensive repetitive task-oriented training for recovery after stroke. The number of repetitions needed is suggested to be in the order of hundreds, but this is not currently being achieved in clinical practice. In an eff...