Table 3 World Stroke Organization checklist for health service capacity for acute stroke care
From: Towards best practice in acute stroke care in Ghana: a survey of hospital services
Component of acute stroke service | Service availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Tertiary-Teaching Hospitals (n = 4) | Regional Hospital (n = 7) | Overall Total (n = 11) % | |
Advanced stroke services | |||
Access to advanced diagnostic services | |||
− Magnetic Resonance Angiography | 3 | 0 | 3 (27.3%) |
− Computed Tomographic Angiography | 4 | 4 | 8 (72.7%) |
− Electroencephalogram | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
− Electrocardiogram (ECG) | 4 | 5 | 9 (81.8%) |
− Neurovascular ultrasound diagnostic services, e.g. Carotid Doppler Services | 3 | 0 | 3 (27.3%) |
− Magnetic Resonance Imaging | 4 | 1 | 5 (45.5%) |
− Computed Tomographic Scan | 4 | 4 | 8 (72.7%) |
Access to physicians with stroke expertise (and physician specialists) | |||
− Neurologists | 3 | 1 | 4 (36.4%) |
− Neurosurgeon | 3 | 0 | 3 (27.3%) |
− Physician Specialist | 4 | 4 | 8 (72.7%) |
Access to advanced acute stroke care interventions | |||
− Stroke unit care | 1 | 0 | 1 (9.1%) |
− Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
− Decompressive surgery | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
− Arteriovenous Malformation Treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Surgery for Aneurysm | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Revascularization (Carotid Endarterectomy) | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Access to specialist rehabilitation therapists | |||
− Physiotherapists | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
− Occupational Therapists | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
− Speech Therapists | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Access to community programs for recovery after stroke | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Essential stroke services | |||
Access to basic diagnostic services | |||
− Laboratory | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
− ECG | 4 | 5 | 9 (81.8%) |
− Computed Tomographic Scan (CT scan) | 4 | 4 | 8 (72.7%) |
− Neurovascular ultrasound diagnostic services | 3 | 0 | 3 (27.3%) |
− National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIH) | 2 | 2 | 2 (18.2%) |
Access to nurses | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
Access to physicians, not necessarily stroke specialists | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
Access to acute thrombolysis with t-PA | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Access to stroke unit care | 1 | 0 | 1 (9.1%) |
Antiplatelet (Aspirin) therapy | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
Access to rehabilitation services | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
Minimal healthcare services | |||
Variable access to healthcare workers (nurses or lay workers) | 4 | 7 | 11 (100.0%) |
Very limited access to physicians | 0 | 2 | 2 (18.2%) |
No access to diagnostic services or hospital care | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |
Care provided in local communities | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) |