Browsing by Author "Taveira, Isabel"
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- Impact of process of care in the short-term mortality in non-severe intracerebral hemorrhage in southern PortugalPublication . Fernandes, Adriana; Taveira, Isabel; Soares, Rita; Marreiros, Ana; Nzwalo, HipólitoIntroduction: Patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) face the worse functional and vital prognosis among all stroke subtypes. In cases of severe SICH, therapeutic inertia or nihilism complicates meaningful identification of outcome predictors. Therefore, we sought to investigate clinic-radiological and process of care predictors of short-term mortality in patients with mild to moderate SICH. Patients and methods: Observational retrospective community representative consecutive case series of patients from Algarve, southern Portugal. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of short-term (30-day) death. Results: Mortality was 23.9% (111/464). Most important predictors of death were unconsciousness at admission (OR = 12.392, 95% CI = 3.816-40.241, p < 0.001), hospital arrival > 6 h after stroke onset (OR = 2.842, 95% CI = 1.380-5.852, p =.005), hematoma volume > 30 cc/cm3 (OR = 3.295, 95% CI 0 1.561-6.953, p =.002), intraventricular extension (OR = 2.885, 95% CI = 1.457-5.712, p =.002) and > 24 h in the Emergency Department (OR =19.675, 95% CI = 3.682-34.125, p =.009). Stroke Unit (SU) admission reduced the likelihood of death (OR = 0.293, 95% CI = 0.137-0.682, p =.002). Conclusion: The observed mortality is high. Apart from the traditional clinic-radiological factors, in mild to moderate SICH, process of care related factors have strong impact on mortality. These results highlight the need of continuous improvement of SICH care to improve the prognosis.
- Late hospital arrival for thrombolysis after stroke in Southern Portugal: Who is at risk?Publication . Sobral, Sofia; Taveira, Isabel; Seixas, Rui; Vicente, Ana Claudia; Duarte, Josiana; Goes, Ana Teresa; Duran, David; Lopes, Joao; Rita, Henrique; Nzwalo, HipólitoBackground: Delayed hospital arrival remains the main reason for the low rates of thrombolysis in eligible acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. The role of socioeconomic and clinical factors for the prehospital delay of AIS remains poor and has never been studied in Portugal. Objectives: Describe the socioeconomic and clinical factors leading to delayed hospital admission of AIS patients eligible to thrombolysis. Methods: A case-control study with a consecutive thrombolyzed AIS patients from 2010 to 2015. Controls were patients who did not receive thrombolysis because of late hospital arrival. Logistic regression with stepwise forward regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of delayed admission to receive thrombolysis with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA). Results: Of the 1247 patients admitted with AIS, 76 (6%) arrived on-time and received intravenous rtPA. Controls were 65.8% (146/222) of the total number of patients included in the study. Overall, the mean age was 73 years (+/- 11, 61), a minority were below 60 years, and 43.7% were women. Being beneficiary of social insertion income (odds ratio [OR]: .286; .124-.662, P = .003), not having any telephone contact (OR: .145; .039-.536, .004) or having exclusive landline (.055; .014-.210, < .001) and posterior circulation stroke (OR: .266; .087-.811, P = .020) decreased the likelihood of hospital arrive on-time rtPA. The use of prehospital ambulance services increased (OR: 6.478; 2.751-15.254, P < .001) the odds of ER on-time arrival for thrombolysis. Conclusions: Poverty, lack of stroke awareness, or difficulties in requesting immediate medical help are the main factors implicated in late-hospital admission for thrombolysis in AIS. Stroke awareness campaigns, promotion of activation of national emergency number and stroke code can increase the rate of thrombolysis.
- Mirrored-self misidentification in a patient with probable Alzheimer dementiaPublication . Fernandes, Catarina; Taveira, Isabel; Nzwalo, HipólitoA 77-year-old-man who was a retired primary school teacher with probable Alzheimer dementia diagnosed after 2 years of progres sive short-term memory loss and predominant hippocampal atro phy onmagnetic resonance scan of the brain was brought to the out patient neurology clinic by his wife because of persistent ab normal behavior. The caretaker reported that he was frequently puzzled and astonished by his own mirror image. His medical his tory was remarkable for controlled hypertension and type 2 diabe tes. He did not have any personal or family history of psychiatric dis ease. There were no recent changes with the patient’s regular medications (rivastigmine, 9.5 mg daily transdermally; enalapril; and metformin). His wife described him as being a very quiet and relaxed person until the start of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, when he started with complaints of seeing a strangeman whenever he saw his face reflection in the mirror.
- Multiple inherited thrombophilias in a young patient with striatocapsular strokePublication . Taveira, Isabel; Vicente, Claudia; Sobrall, Sofia; Nzwalo, Hipolito; Sousa E Costa, Jose
- Predictors of pneumonia in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in Algarve, Southern PortugalPublication . Soares, Rita; Fernandes, Adriana; Taveira, Isabel; Marreiros, Ana; Nzwalo, HipólitoIntroduction: Following the hyperacute phase of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH), the severest form of stroke, pneumonia emerges as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Prevention of stroke associated pneumonia (SAP) is fundamental to improve the prognosis of SICH patients. Aim: Identify clinical, sociodemographic and process of care factors associated with occurrence of SAP after SICH in Algarve, southern Portugal. Methods: Observational, retrospective study of community representative consecutive case series of patients with SICH admitted to the sole public hospital in the region. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of SAP after SICH. Results: A total of 525 patients were included. The mean age was 71 ( +/- 13) years and 64% were men. SAP occurred in 165 (31.5%). Lower Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS score): <= 8 (OR= 2.087; 95% CI= [1.027;4.424]; p = 0.042) and GCS 9-12 (OR= 1.775; 95% CI= [1.030;3.059]; p = 0.039); prolonged emergency room stay (OR= 8.066; 95%CI=[3.082;21.113]; p < 0.001) and hyperactive delirium (OR=2.860; 95% CI= [1.661;4.925]; p < 0.001) increased the likelihood of SAP. Being younger, = 59 years (OR= 0.391; 95% CI= [0.168; 0.911]; p = 0.029) and 60-71 years (OR= 0.389; 95% CI= [0.185; 0.818]; p = 0.013); and having less severe SICH/intracerebral hemorrhage score (ICH score) <= 2 (OR=0.601; 95% CI= [0.370; 0.975]; p = 0.039), decreased the risk of SAP. Conclusion: After SICH, SAP occurs in approximately a third of patients. Non preventable (admission severity, ageing) and potentially preventable (prolonged emergency room stay, hyperactive delirium) determine the occurrence of SAP. Intensification of preventive intervention in high-risk patients, delirium prevention and improvement of the process of care can potentially reduce the occurrence of SAP after SICH.
- Stroke-associated cortical deafness: a systematic review of clinical and radiological characteristicsPublication . Silva, Gracinda; Gonçalves, Rita; Taveira, Isabel; Mouzinho, Maria; Osório, Rui; Nzwalo, HipólitoBackground: Stroke is the leading cause of cortical deafness (CD), the most severe form of central hearing impairment. CD remains poorly characterized and perhaps underdiagnosed. We perform a systematic review to describe the clinical and radiological features of stroke-associated CD. Methods: PubMed and the Web of Science databases were used to identify relevant publications up to 30 June 2021 using the MeSH terms: “deafness” and “stroke”, or “hearing loss” and “stroke” or “auditory agnosia” and “stroke”. Results: We found 46 cases, caused by bilateral lesions within the central auditory pathway, mostly located within or surrounding the superior temporal lobe gyri and/or the Heschl’s gyri (30/81%). In five (13.51%) patients, CD was caused by the subcortical hemispheric and in two (0.05%) in brainstem lesions. Sensorineural hearing loss was universal. Occasionally, a misdiagnosis by peripheral or psychiatric disorders occurred. A few (20%) had clinical improvement, with a regained oral conversation or evolution to pure word deafness (36.6%). A persistent inability of oral communication occurred in 43.3%. A full recovery of conversation was restricted to patients with subcortical lesions. Conclusions: Stroke-associated CD is rare, severe and results from combinations of cortical and subcortical lesions within the central auditory pathway. The recovery of functional hearing occurs, essentially, when caused by subcortical lesions.
- Triggers of posterior reversible encephalopathy in Guillain-Barre syndromePublication . Garrido, Daniel; Martins, Joao; Jordão, Mariana; Raimundo, Pedro; Jacinto, Ruben; Estevens, Rui; Taveira, Isabel; Macedo, Ana; Nzwalo, Hipólito