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  • Essay / How were stroke patients affected by emergency...

    Hospital emergency departments play a fundamental role in the treatment of urgent conditions such as acute stroke (Trzeciak and Rivers, 2003). A stroke occurs when there is an interruption in blood flow to the brain tissues and is therefore a condition that relies on appropriate and adequate access to health care (Panagos, 2006). Patients who have suffered a stroke will most often present to emergency departments in order to receive treatment (Kothari et al, 1998). However, Chan et al (2010) found that approximately 48% of US hospitals operate over capacity and therefore do not provide satisfactory health care. Overcrowding can be defined as the overabundance of patients requiring treatment and can be attributed to improper use of the emergency area by non-critical patients (Chan et al, 2010; Trzeciak and Rivers, 2003). This can potentially negatively affect outcomes for stroke patients. The purpose of this trial is to study factors such as patient knowledge, wait times, and patient safety to examine the effects of emergency department overcrowding on stroke patients. . Patient knowledge has been shown to influence outcomes for stroke patients. A number of studies have indicated that delays in emergency presentation due to patients' lack of knowledge regarding stroke are the main reason for exclusion from treatment (Chan et al, 2010; Kothari et al, 1997; Panagos, 2008). A prospective study by Kothari et al (1997) showed that 40% of stroke patients surveyed had no knowledge of stroke symptoms. Chan et al (2010) and Kothari et al (1997) both propose that public education regarding stroke is necessary to increase positive outcomes for these patients. In the study by ...... middle of article ...... the American Heart Association, 28, 1871−1875. doi:10.1161/01.STR.28.10.1871Kothari, R., Jaunch, E., Broderick, J., Brott, T., Sauerbeck, L., Khoury, J., & Liu, T. (1998) . Acute stroke: delays in presentation and evaluation in the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 33, 3−8. doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(99)70431-2Panagos, P. (2008). The approach to optimize stroke care. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 26, 808−816. doi:10.1016/j.aejm.2007.11.014Richardson, D. (2006). Increased 10-day patient mortality associated with emergency department overcrowding. Australian Medical Journal, 184, 213−216. Retrieved from https://www.mja.com.au/Trzeciak, S. & Rivers, E. (2003). Emergency Department Overcrowding in the United States: An Emerging Threat to Patient Safety and Public Health. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20, 402−405. doi: 10.1136/emj.20.5.402