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.