Although our understanding of the benefit of addressing hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking for secondary prevention of stroke is evolving, we found marked room for improvement in the management of these four risk factors. SPCs may need to be more actively involved in the management of these modifiable risk factors, if we are to significantly impact the risk of recurrent stroke.

Objective: To study the short and long term differences in outcome between patients >80 years of age and those (79 years of age who received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (iv rt-PA) for acute stroke within the first 3 hours of symptom onset. Methods: We studied consecutive patients treated with iv rt-PA for acute stroke, with prospective follow up of up to 3 years. Outcome measures included National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Barthel Index (BI), modified Rankin score (MRS), and stroke mortality. Patients were split into two groups: younger ( (79 years) and older (>80 years). Results: There were 65 patients in the younger cohort and 31 patients in the older. Older patients were more likely to present with more severe baseline stroke (p = 0.04; odds ratio (OR) 3.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 8.98). Stroke mortality at 90 days was 10.8% in the younger and 32.3% in the older cohort (p = 0.01). At 90 days' follow up, patients in the older cohort with more severe stroke (NIHSS score >11) were nearly 10 times more likely to have poor outcome compared with their younger counterparts presenting with severe stroke (p = 0.001; OR = 10.36; 95% CI 2.16 to 49.20). Baseline stroke severity and age were the only independent and equal predictors for stroke outcome. No threshold was found for age or baseline stroke severity predicting outcome. Conclusion: Older patients presenting with more severe baseline stroke are much less likely to benefit from iv rt-PA as compared with their younger counterparts.

326Studies and commentaries from the 1980s expressing concern about the efficacy, appropriateness, and complications of carotid endarterectomy (CEA), 1 -8 were followed by a series of multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing CEA to medical treatment alone. Reported throughout the 1990s, these studies validated the use of CEAunder certain circumstances, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] and led to a rapid and large resurgence in the use of CEA in A B S T R A C T: Background: Proof from randomized controlled trials that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is efficacious in stroke prevention has resulted in a large resurgence of its use in recent years. We wished to determine if patients in our region were being selected and treated with complication rates consistent with the randomized trials. Methods: We have completed four audits of CEAs performed in our region since 1994, each followed by feed-back of results to the participating surgeons. Operations for > 70% symptomatic stenosis were considered appropriate, those for 50%-69% symptomatic and > 60% asymptomatic stenosis were considered uncertain and all others, including those in medically or neurologically unstable patients, were designated inappropriate. In part 4, the referral source and nature of the patients was also determined. Results: Part 1 (April 1994 -September 1995 found that of 291 CEAs performed 33% were appropriate, 48% were uncertain and 18% were inappropriate, and 40% of patients who underwent CEA were asymptomatic. In part 2 (September 1996 -September 1997) appropriate indications significantly improved to 49% of 184 CEAs (P=0.005), uncertain indications remained nearly the same at 47%, inappropriate indications fell to 4% (P=0.00002), and asymptomatic patients remained at 40%. T h e results of part 3 (October 1997 -October 1998) remained nearly the same as part 2 (249 CEAs, 47% appropriate, 51% uncertain, 2% inappropriate, 45% asymptomatic). Part 4 (October 1999 -October 2000) results were significantly better than part 3, appropriate indications increasing from 47% to 58% of 222 CEAs (P=0.02), and an elimination of inappropriate operations (P=0.03). Stroke and death complications declined over the study period from an overall rate of 5.2% in part 1 to 2.3% in part 4. In part 4 the majority of patients (69%) were referred to surgeons directly from general practitioners, including 58 (73%) of the 80 asymptomatic patients who underwent CEA. Interpretation: Regular auditing and feedback of results and information to surgeons has resulted in significant and continued improvements in the surgical performance of CEAin our region. Since the majority of patients are referred directly to surgeons by general practitioners, it is important that this group of physicians be familiar with current CEA g u i d e l i n e s . RÉSUMÉ: Évaluation de l'endartérectomie carotidienne: une expérience régionale. Introduction: La preuve basée sur des études contrôlées randomisées que l'endartérectomie carotidienne (EAC) est efficace dans la prévention de l'accident vascul...

THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCESStroke prevention clinics (SPCs) are a relatively recent and evolving phenomenon in the delivery of specialized health care. Patients can be seen very early after a cerebrovascular event and stated targets for risk assessment such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, atrial fibrillation, and internal carotid artery stenosis can be made. In addition, appropriate medical and surgical interventions such as antiplatelet or anticoagulation treatment, blood pressure management, cholesterol lowering agents, and carotid endarterectomy can be initiated for secondary prevention. 1.2 Little is known about the referral patterns to SPCs ABSTRACT: Objective: To evaluate the referral patterns of patients to a stroke prevention clinic (SPC) and to test the adequacy of prereferral diagnosis and management of modifiable risk factors for stroke. Methods: We collected prospective data on consecutive patients referred to the SPC at University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Outcome measures included: alternate diagnoses to stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes, therapies, and investigations leading to carotid endarterectomy. Results: Two thousand and eleven patients were referred to SPC. Nearly 25% of the referrals originated from the emergency room and the rest from general physicians. Of the referrals, 68.7% were confirmed as TIA or stroke at the SPC. Among 1381 patients with TIA or stroke, 736 had history of hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension was found in 265 patients (36.0% of those with hypertension: 95% CI: 32.5-39.5) while undiagnosed hypertension was found in 103 (15.9% of those without hypertension: 95%CI: 13.14-18.79). History of hyperlipidemia was present in 451 patients (32.6%) and 356 (78.9%: 95% CI: 75.2-82.69) of these patients were not at target for secondary prevention. Among 930 patients without history of hyperlipidemia, 739 (79.5%: 95% CI: 76.8-82.1) were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia through the SPC. Fasting blood glucose levels above 7.1 mmol/L in patients with and without history of diabetes were 221 (79.2%: 95% CI: 74.5-83.9) and 66 (6%: 95%CI: 4.6-7.4) respectively. Conclusions: Management of risk factors for stroke needs improvement. SPCs should consider actively managing the classical modifiable risk factors of stroke. RÉSUMÉ: L'impact d'une clinique de prévention de l'accident vasculaire cérébral sur le diagnostic des facteurs de risque modifiables de l'accident vasculaire cérébral. Objectif: Évaluer le profil d'orientation de patients vers une clinique de prévention le l'accident vasculaire cérébral (CPAVC) et la pertinence du diagnostic et de la prise en charge des facteurs de risque modifiables de l'accident vasculaire cérébral (AVC). Méthodes:Nous avons recueilli des données prospectives sur des patients consécutifs référés à la CPAVC du University of Alberta Hospital à Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Nous avons évalué les résultats suivants: les diagnostics a...