PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Zohair A. Al Aseri
AU  - Fahmi M. Al-Senani
AU  - Shaik S. Ahmed
AU  - Amena F. Almubarak
AU  - Dina A. Alzahrani
AU  - Fatimah A. A. Alzaher
AU  - Maha A. Altuwaijri
AU  - Mayar A. Alsudais
AU  - Rawan Z. Mahgoub
AU  - Othman Solaiman
TI  - Assessing the readiness of hospitals in Riyadh Province for efficient and timely stroke management: A pilot study
AID  - 10.17712/nsj.2021.3.20200157
DP  - 2021 Jul 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 254--260
VI  - 26
IP  - 3
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/26/3/254.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/26/3/254.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2021 Jul 01; 26
AB  - Objectives: To assess the readiness of hospitals in Riyadh to establish acute stroke centers by following the Australian Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management.Methods: This study was a quantitative cross-sectional observational study conducted among hospitals in the central region of Saudi Arabia (Jan 2018 – April 2018). A self-administered questionnaire/survey tool was adapted from an Australian survey developed by the Stroke Foundation in Melbourne, Australia.The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Appropriate statistical tests (chi-square and Fisher’s exact test) were used for bivariate analyses.Results: A total of 3932 stroke patient visits were recorded in 37 hospitals in the central region of Saudi Arabia. The most common limitations of acute stroke services were that 25 (67.57%) of the hospitals had no stroke unit and 21 (56.76%) had inadequate clinical staff. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography were available in 32 (86.49%) and 36 (97.30%) hospitals, respectively. Only two-thirds of hospitals 25 (67.57%) followed protocols for rapid Emergency Department (ED) triage.Conclusion: We found that most of our hospitals were not fully prepared to address acute stroke management in a manner that was reasonably consistent with international guidelines. We recommend raising the hospital’s requirements a higher level to be in line with the stroke guidelines.