Abstract

Purpose: Research shows that infusion of TPA within 60 minutes of arrival during a stroke in evolution remarkably improves the patient's ability to regain motor/sensory functions to that prior to having the occlusive stroke. Quickly identifying the stroke patient and rapidly obtaining the radiologic data for diagnosis is key in inusing TPA.

Design: This project is an evidenced based quality project.

Setting: Metropolitan Community Primary Care Stroke/Comprehensive Emergency Department.

Participants/Subjects: All subjects are patients of either sex presenting to the emergency department with signs/symptoms of stroke during the month of October 2017. All ED staff participated in this project.

Methods: When a patient presents to triage, or we are notified by EMS that the are brining a patient with positive signs of stroke, the patient is quickly assessed using the NIHSS stoke scale tool to determine activation of "code stroke". The patient is immediatly placed on an ED cart, on arrival, dedicated for code strokes in order to obtain an acccurate wieight. Time of arrival is used to begin measuring door to needle time stamp in the EMR. Once activated an overhead announcement is made over the entire hospital alerting team members to repsond to the emergency department for assessment and intervention. This includes ED staff (ED Physician, Nurses, Tech's), ICU Neuro Intesivist, Pharmacist, Radiology Technician 24/7, When the announcement is made, one of the CT Scanners is cleared for immediate scanning capabilities. Once determined stable the patient is taken from ED to CT, along with ED RN, Neuro Intensivist and pharmacist. The neuro intensivist along with the radiologist make the diagnosis of occlusive stroke. If postive the TPA infusion begins in the CT scanner. The national benchmark for best outcomes regarding door to needle, by the American Heart Association is sixty (60) minutes. The EMR is the tool used for data retrieval for times in this project.

Results/Outcomes: During the month of October 2017 we had a total of fifty-eight (58) Code Strokes of which seven (7) met criteria for TPA. The average time of door to needle was thirty-five (35) minutes with the best door to needle time at fourteen (14) minutes.

Implications: An organized, multi-disciplinary team repsonse that is evidenced based and consistent allows stroke patients the best opportunity to not only resolve, but reverse stroke symptoms. Additionally, returns the patient to the best quality of life possible given current knowledge.

Author Details

Arika Witzerman, BSN, RN; Rhodora Tumamak, BSN, RN, MICN; Sanja Ryan, BSN, RN, PHN, MICN; David Miller, MHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

LCM2018, Needle Magic, TPA

Conference Name

Emergency Nursing 2018

Conference Host

Emergency Nurses Association

Conference Location

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Conference Year

2018

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Door-to-needle magic

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Purpose: Research shows that infusion of TPA within 60 minutes of arrival during a stroke in evolution remarkably improves the patient's ability to regain motor/sensory functions to that prior to having the occlusive stroke. Quickly identifying the stroke patient and rapidly obtaining the radiologic data for diagnosis is key in inusing TPA.

Design: This project is an evidenced based quality project.

Setting: Metropolitan Community Primary Care Stroke/Comprehensive Emergency Department.

Participants/Subjects: All subjects are patients of either sex presenting to the emergency department with signs/symptoms of stroke during the month of October 2017. All ED staff participated in this project.

Methods: When a patient presents to triage, or we are notified by EMS that the are brining a patient with positive signs of stroke, the patient is quickly assessed using the NIHSS stoke scale tool to determine activation of "code stroke". The patient is immediatly placed on an ED cart, on arrival, dedicated for code strokes in order to obtain an acccurate wieight. Time of arrival is used to begin measuring door to needle time stamp in the EMR. Once activated an overhead announcement is made over the entire hospital alerting team members to repsond to the emergency department for assessment and intervention. This includes ED staff (ED Physician, Nurses, Tech's), ICU Neuro Intesivist, Pharmacist, Radiology Technician 24/7, When the announcement is made, one of the CT Scanners is cleared for immediate scanning capabilities. Once determined stable the patient is taken from ED to CT, along with ED RN, Neuro Intensivist and pharmacist. The neuro intensivist along with the radiologist make the diagnosis of occlusive stroke. If postive the TPA infusion begins in the CT scanner. The national benchmark for best outcomes regarding door to needle, by the American Heart Association is sixty (60) minutes. The EMR is the tool used for data retrieval for times in this project.

Results/Outcomes: During the month of October 2017 we had a total of fifty-eight (58) Code Strokes of which seven (7) met criteria for TPA. The average time of door to needle was thirty-five (35) minutes with the best door to needle time at fourteen (14) minutes.

Implications: An organized, multi-disciplinary team repsonse that is evidenced based and consistent allows stroke patients the best opportunity to not only resolve, but reverse stroke symptoms. Additionally, returns the patient to the best quality of life possible given current knowledge.