Stroke Care Delivery in Institutions Participating in the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network

Background and Purpose— Guidelines and performance indicators have been established for acute stroke care. However, little is known about the process of stroke care delivery in Canada. Methods— The Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network (RCSN) captured detailed clinical data on patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack seen at 21 acute care institutions across Canada. Data from phase 1 of the RCSN (June 2001 to February 2002) were used to determine the use of evidence-based acute stroke care interventions in participating institutions. Results— Overall, 4439 patients were seen during the study time frame and 1701 (38%) consented to full data collection. Thirty-one percent received care on a stroke unit or from a mobile stroke team. Among patients with ischemic stroke, 7% received thrombolysis, 80% underwent carotid imaging, 89% received antithrombotic agents, and 54% of those with atrial fibrillation received warfarin. There were significant intersite variations in the delivery of all of these i...