Development and implementation of a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective protocol for national stroke prevention screening

Lavenson, George S.; Pantera, Richard L.; Garza, Rosa M.; Neff, Tracey; Rothwell, Sue D.; Cisneros, Jane

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2004.08.055

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 188, Issue 6 , Pages 638-643, December 2004

Development and implementation of a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective protocol for national stroke prevention screening

Presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress, Monterey, California, April 18–21, 2004

George S. Lavenson Jr, M.D., R.V.T.
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA
- Corresponding author: Tel.: +1-559-625-4118; fax: +1-559-625-6004.
Richard L. Pantera, M.D.
- Department of Neurology, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA
Rosa M. Garza, R.N.
- Department of Outpatient Clinics, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA
Tracey Neff, R.N., B.S.
- Department of Outpatient Clinics, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA
Sue D. Rothwell, R.N.
- Department of Outpatient Clinics, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA
Jane Cisneros, R.V.T.
- Department of Radiology, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, 609 Acequia, Suite C, Visalia, CA 93291, USA

Received 20 July 2004; received in revised form 7 August 2004

Abstract

Background

Three medical conditions—cervical carotid artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension—cause the majority of strokes. Discovering these silent, immediate causes of stroke through screening, so they can be treated before stroke occurs, can potentially prevent strokes on an epidemiologic scale.

Methods

A rapid, accurate, and cost-effective stroke prevention screening (SPS) protocol was developed.

Results

The SPS protocol was used to screen 6,073 seniors residing in the central valley of California, at Madigan Army Medical Center, at New York University, and by the American Vascular Association at 68 leading institutions. The screening was estimated to have prevented 30 strokes and to have saved the health care system >$2 million.

Conclusions

Implementation of a national SPS for seniors can discover the silent, immediate causes of strokes so they can be managed before stroke occurs and can potentially prevent the majority of strokes that we are currently not preventing.

Keywords: Screening prevention national , Strokes