Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cephalosporins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Singapore

Carotid Artery, Internal ; diagnostic imaging ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Extremities ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; diagnostic imaging ; Thromboembolism ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial

Erythema Multiforme ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; etiology ; Middle Aged

Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; diagnosis ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hemangioblastoma ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; diagnosis ; Kidney Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Pancreatic Cyst ; diagnosis ; Retinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; von Hippel-Lindau Disease ; diagnosis

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Fibrillation ; complications ; drug therapy ; Brain Ischemia ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Dabigatran ; therapeutic use ; Dipyridamole ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Guideline Adherence ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Primary Prevention ; statistics & numerical data ; Pyrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Pyridones ; therapeutic use ; Rivaroxaban ; therapeutic use ; Stroke ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Ticlopidine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Warfarin ; therapeutic use

INTRODUCTIONEarly initiation of stroke thrombolysis is associated with improved outcomes. Procurement of consent is a key factor in prolonging the door-to-needle duration. This study aimed to determine the attitudes and preferences of stroke patients and their next of kin (NOK) towards decision-making for stroke thrombolysis in Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe surveyed acute ischaemic stroke patients (n = 171) who presented beyond the 4.5-hour therapeutic window and their NOK (n = 140) using a questionnaire with scenarios on obtaining consent for intravenous thrombolysis.

RESULTSIn the patient survey, 83% were agreeable for their NOK to decide on their behalf if mentally incapacitated and 74% were agreeable for the doctor to decide if the NOK was absent. In the NOK survey, the majority (81%) wanted to be consulted before mentally capacitated patients made their decision; 72% and 74%, meanwhile, were willing to decide on behalf of a mentally capacitated and mentally incapacitated patient, respectively. In the scenario where a doctor recommended a mentally incapacitated stroke patient to undergo thrombolysis but the family declined, there was a near equal split in preference to follow the family's or doctor's decision in both the patient and NOK surveys.

CONCLUSIONThe survey found that in the decision-making process for stroke thrombolysis, there was no clear consensus on the preference for the decision maker of the mentally incapacitated patient. In Singapore, there is a strong influence of the NOK in decision-making for thrombolysis.

Attitude to Health ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; psychology ; therapy ; Decision Making ; Dissent and Disputes ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Mental Competency ; Proxy ; Singapore ; Stroke ; etiology ; psychology ; therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Time-to-Treatment

INTRODUCTIONIntravenous thrombolysis has been shown to improve outcome after acute cerebral infarction if given within 3 hours of symptom onset. There are no data in Singapore on the timing of hospital presentation after acute cerebral infarction as well as factors and reasons for delayed presentation.

MATERIALS AND METHODSAs intravenous thrombolysis has recently been licensed for use in acute cerebral infarction in Singapore, we studied 100 consecutive acute cerebral infarction admitted to the Singapore General Hospital for timing of hospital presentation, reasons associated with delay in presentation and hypothetical acceptance of intravenous thrombolysis.

RESULTSOnly 9% of patients presented to hospital within 2 hours of symptom onset. Factors associated with hospital presentation within 2 hours were a large stroke and lack of pre-hospital consultation. Failure to recognise the severity of symptoms and inability to seek medical attention unaided were the 2 most common reasons for delayed presentation. One-third of patients or their relatives hypothetically would accept intravenous thrombolysis, suggesting that a thrombolysis service is feasible at the Singapore General Hospital. However, it would be hindered by the low proportion of patients who present early to hospital after symptom onset.

CONCLUSIONOur results support the need for a public education programme to highlight the identification of stroke symptoms and the need to present to hospital as soon as possible after the onset of stroke symptoms.

Acute Disease ; Aged ; Cerebral Infarction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; statistics & numerical data ; Prospective Studies ; Singapore ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

INTRODUCTIONEarlier treatment with intravenous stroke thrombolysis improves outcomes and lowers risk of bleeding complications. The decision-making and consent process is one of the rate-limiting steps in the duration between hospital arrival and treatment initiation. We aim to describe the attitudes and practices of neurologists in Singapore on the consent and decision-making processes for stroke thrombolysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA survey of neurologists and neurologists-in-training in 2 large tertiary public hospitals in Singapore was conducted.

RESULTSAmong 46 respondents, 94% of them considered stroke thrombolysis an emergency treatment and 67% of them indicated there is a need for written informed consent. The majority (87%) knew that from a legal perspective, the doctor should be the decision-maker in an emergency treatment for a mentally incapacitated patient. However, 63% of respondents reported that it is the next-of-kin who usually makes the decision in actual practice. If confronted with a mentally incapacitated stroke patient, 57% of them were willing to be the proxy decision-maker and 13% of them were not. In 3 commonly encountered vignettes when a mentally incapacitated patient was being considered for stroke thrombolysis, there was no clear consensus on the respondents' practices.

CONCLUSIONThe next-of-kin is usually the decision-maker for stroke thrombolysis in practice for a mentally incapacitated patient despite most doctors considering thrombolysis an emergency treatment. This, together with the lack of consensus and variance in decision-making and consent practice amongst neurologists for stroke thrombolysis, demonstrates the need to develop best practice guidelines to standardise healthcare practices for greater consistency in health service delivery.

Attitude ; Decision Making ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Physicians ; Stroke

Adult ; COVID-19/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Intracranial Thrombosis/virology* ; Male ; Severity of Illness Index ; Venous Thrombosis/virology*