Unidad de Accidentes CerebrovascularesDiagnóstico y tratamiento del Accidente Cerebrovascular

Stroke units are specialized clinical departments dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of stroke. By international standards different requirements for the equipment for primary and comprehensive stroke centers are defined.
In primary stroke centers brain CT or MR scanning should be available at all times: treatment follows established guidelines and dedicated protocols, while thrombolytic therapy is available on a 24/7 basis.
In addition, comprehensive stroke units should provide dedicated brain imaging in various modalities and offer further diagnostics and treatment options, such as transcranial Doppler sonography, diagnostic and interventional angiography, neurosurgical and vascular surgical consultation, and continuous rehabilitation therapy.
Key differentiators of stroke units and conventional wards include early initiation of secondary prevention, rapid patient mobilization and multi-disciplinary expertise in stroke neurology, stroke nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and neuropsychology.
Stroke units have proved to significantly reduce mortality, patient dependency, and the need for institutional care independent of gender, age, type of stroke, and stroke severity of the patients. Although acute care in stroke units is more expensive than in normal neurological wards, studies have shown the cost effectiveness of stroke units in the long run.

Information systems

Availability and incorporation of case-related medical information are critical for information systems in stroke care. Patient history, diagnostic images, lab tests, current therapy, and other relevant information should be comprehensively accessible at all workplaces.
With its hospital information systems i.s.h.med® and Soarian® Clinicals, Siemens offers healthcare management software that has proved its effectiveness in hundreds of modern hospitals around the world. By supporting dedicated workflows and workflow engines for planning, patient file handling, documentation, and communication, Siemens information systems assists you in managing your healthcare processes.
syngo.share1 serves in your existing IT environment as a universal archive and information manager - across departments, across different sites and also supports in regional setups.
We help you deliver high-level care while keeping it patient-focused, guideline-based, flexible, specific, and cost-efficient.

Cardiac embolus caused by cardiac dysfunctions like atrial fibrillation is a frequent cause of stroke. Uncoordinated or compromised heart contractions may provoke blood flow stasis and activate clotting with a high risk of consecutive cerebral embolism, stroke and re-stroke. An echocardiogram is therefore essential for the comprehensive analysis of a stroke’s etiology as much as for the prevention of recurring embolism. Echocardiography can be performed as transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) Doppler/ Duplex ultrasound investigation. One of the most common indications for a TEE is to rule out source of emboli.
Siemens supports your diagnosis and etiology analysis of stroke with echocardiography systems of outstanding imaging quality, dedicated diagnostic applications, evidence-based clinical risk assessment and fast workflows.

Blood testing

Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of stroke have to take into account a broad variety of health conditions that can promote or mimic stroke. Some of these health conditions, such as hypoglycemia or abnormal coagulation status are detectable by blood testing. Blood analysis is also vital to rule out certain contraindications to thrombolytic treatment and other therapeutic options.
As recommended by international stroke guidelines, complete blood count, coagulation, metabolic and inflammatory parameters should be determined for every patient suspected of stroke. Siemens provides a broad portfolio of laboratory diagnostic solutions to help provide optimal patient care.

Ultrasound

A transcranial Doppler ultrasound exam provides information on the intracranial vessels. This test enables clinicians to recognize an imminent vasospasm and to quickly address it in patients who have been treated by surgical clipping after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Transcranial Doppler/ Duplex ultrasound allows for a quick evaluation of the blood flow in the major cerebral arteries of the brain. In the Stroke Unit, ultrasound combines fast and reliable diagnosis with the benefit of radiation free-scanning.

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