New nursing protocol around these 3 conditions improves stroke outcomes, study shows

A new nursing care protocol — that focuses on treating fever, hyperglycemia and dysphagia in the first 72 hours after a stroke — can reduce deaths and disability  compared to standard stroke care, according to a study published in the American Journal of Nursing.

The protocol was implemented at 19 acute stroke care units in New South Wales, Australia. The protocol includes:

●    For fever: Temperature monitoring every four hours and administration of paracetamol to lower temperature when needed
●    For hyperglycemia: Blood glucose monitoring and saline or insulin infusion if needed
●    For dysphagia detection: A training program for nurses by speech pathologists and later assessments to test competency in screening

The study, which included 1,076 patients and a four-year follow-up, shows implementing the protocol diligently and within 48 hours helped preserve key tissue.

"[The] data clearly demonstrate the divergence in survival curves in the immediate post-trial period, which was maintained throughout the follow-up period," the researchers wrote.

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