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This study aims to assess the quality of life (QOL) and the related factors in patients post-stroke in Jordan.

Prospective, the cross-sectional study recruited 100 participants with stroke from three public hospitals from December 1, 2021 to February 1, 2022. Patients with stroke were interviewed to fill the stroke-specific quality of life questionnaire.

Forty-five per cent of the participants were male. More than half of the participants (53%) were married, and the average age of the participants was 63.6 (SD =3.8). Most of the participants had an ischemic stroke (86%) with an affected left side (65%). The overall QOL of the participants was leveling at (M = 123.5, SD = 45.2), which is a moderate level. It was found statistical significance differences among participants according to gender, type of stroke, affected side and presence of comorbidities (Table 1).

There were some limitations in this study. First, this study was based on mild to moderate Jordanian stroke survivors and did not include critically ill stroke survivors; the QOL critically ill stroke survivors may differ, which could affect the generalizability of data among all stroke survivors. Second, this study is prospective, and this type of study is prone to bias that could influence the reliability of the results. It is recommended to conduct a mixed-method study to reveal an in-depth understanding of the associated factors with QOL, to ensure reliability and to reflect a better view of the Jordanian population.

To sum up, there is a reduction in the level of QOL among stroke survivors; hence, it is crucial to focus on detecting factors contributing to reducing the QOL and taking individual differences between sexes, type and location of the stroke, and comorbidities into consideration to develop a treatment plan that enhances the QOL and well-being for survivors of stroke.

Taking individual differences between sexes, type and location of the stroke and comorbidities into consideration to develop a treatment plan that enhances the QOL and well-being of survivors of stroke.

The findings of this study bring a strong insight toward assessing the main factors indicating a decrease QOL among stroke survivors.

Although the pathogenesis of stroke is not yet completely elucidated, factors such as oxidative stress and inflammation have been shown to play an important role in this regard. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of whey protein plus lipoic acid on the inflammatory and oxidative stress markers and the prognosis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

A double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted among 42 patients with the first episode of AIS at the Imam Reza Hospital of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The blind research staff randomly assigned patients to two groups of receiving usual hospital gavage (control group) and 1,200 mg of lipoic acid plus 20 g of whey protein in addition to usual hospital gavage (intervention group) for midday meal. Levels of albumin, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and clinical outcomes including severity of neurologic damage according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and functional state based on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were evaluated initially and three weeks later.

There were no significant differences in demographic and baseline characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). After three weeks, hs-CRP (p <* 0.01), IL-6 (p = 0.02) and TNF-α (p = 0.01) levels significantly reduced in the intervention group, but no significant changes were observed in cases of albumin, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in this group (p > 0.05). Instead, only IL-6 decreased significantly in the control group (p <* 0.01). In addition, comparing changes of assessed variables between two groups showed no significant improvement in the whey protein plus lipoic acid supplementation group vs the control group (p > 0.05). While there was significant betterment in clinical prognosis parameters within groups, no significant changes were found between groups.

The investigation implied that whey protein plus lipoic acid supplementation has no significant effects on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers compared to the control group of AIS patients. More studies in this field are needed to approve the result.

This review aims to evaluate the evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on patients with stroke.

The author carried out a review following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for a review article. PubMed, the Web of Science and CINAHL Plus Full Text were searched from January 2019 to October 2020. Twenty-three studies were included in the final review, incorporating a total of 9,819 stroke patients.

The most commonly reported effects of COVID-19 on patients with stroke were delayed stroke treatment (n = 14 studies), thrombotic, blood and immune system complications (n = 8), increased risk of stroke severity and disability (n = 6), increased mortality (n = 8), elevated D-dimer levels (n = 4), comorbidity and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (n = 6) and prolonged hospitalization (n = 4).

COVID-19 has affected patients with stroke in various ways, either directly or indirectly, prior to admission or in hospital. The findings should help guide further investigation of the long-term impact of COVID-19 on patients with stroke and help to establish proper guidelines for the provision of efficient treatment for affected patients.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA and worldwide. While stroke care has evolved dramatically, many new acute approaches to therapy focus only on the first 3-12 hours. Significant treatment opportunities beyond the first 12 hours can play a major role in improving outcomes for stroke patients. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issues that affect stroke care delivery for patients and caregivers and describe an integrated care model that can improve care across the continuum.

This paper details evidence-based research that documents current stroke care and efforts to improve care delivery. Further, an innovative integrated care model is described, and its novel application to stroke care is highlighted.

Stroke patients and caregivers face fragmented and poorly coordinated care systems as they move through specific stroke nodes of care, from acute emergency and in-hospital stay through recovery post-discharge at a care facility or at home, and can be addressed by applying a comprehensive, technology-enabled Integrated Stroke Practice Unit (ISPU) Model of Care.

This paper documents specific issues that impact stroke care and the utilization of integrated care delivery models to address them. Evidence-based research results document difficulties of current care delivery methods for stroke and the impact of that care delivery on patients and caregivers across each node of care. It offers an innovative ISPU model and highlights specific tenets of that model for readers.

To assess the effectiveness of an integrated care program for post-acute care of stroke patients, the return home program (RHP program), deployed in Barcelona (North-East Spain) between 2016 and 2017 in a context of health and social care information systems integration.

The RHP program was built around an electronic record that integrated health and social care information (with an agreement for coordinated access by all stakeholders) and an operational re-design of the care pathways, which started upon hospital admission instead of discharge. The health outcomes and resource use of the RHP program participants were compared with a population-based matched control group built from central healthcare records of routine care data.

The study included 92 stroke patients attended within the RHP program and the patients' matched controls. Patients in the intervention group received domiciliary care service, home rehabilitation, and telecare significantly earlier than the matched controls. Within the first two years after the stroke episode, recipients of the RHP program were less frequently institutionalized in a long-term care facility (5 vs 15%). The use of primary care services, non-emergency transport, and telecare services were more frequent in the RHP group.

The authors' analysis shows that an integrated care program can effectively promote and accelerate delivery of key domiciliary care services, reducing institutionalization of stroke patients in the mid-term. The integration of health and social care information allows not only a better coordination among professionals (thus avoiding redundant assessments) but also to monitor health and resource use outcomes of care delivery.

A stroke is a serious, life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off. The earlier a stroke is treated, the less damage is likely to occur. One of the methods that can lead to faster treatment is timely and accurate prediction and diagnosis. This paper aims to compare the binary integer programming-data envelopment analysis (BIP-DEA) model and the logistic regression (LR) model for diagnosing and predicting the occurrence of stroke in Iran.

In this study, two algorithms of the BIP-DEA and LR methods were introduced and key risk factors leading to stroke were extracted.

The study population consisted of 2,100 samples (patients) divided into six subsamples of different sizes. The classification table of each algorithm showed that the BIP-DEA model had more reliable results than the LR for the small data size. After running each algorithm, the BIP-DEA and LR algorithms identified eight and five factors as more effective risk factors and causes of stroke, respectively. Finally, predictive models using the important risk factors were proposed.

The main objective of this study is to provide the integrated BIP-DEA algorithm as a fast, easy and suitable tool for evaluation and prediction. In fact, the BIP-DEA algorithm can be used as an alternative tool to the LR model when the sample size is small. These algorithms can be used in various fields, including the health-care industry, to predict and prevent various diseases before the patient’s condition becomes more dangerous.

A major component of hospital stroke care involves prompt identification of stroke in admitted patients. Delays in recognizing stroke symptoms and initiating treatment for in-hospital stroke can adversely impact patient outcomes. This quality improvement intervention used simulation together with a traditional lecture to instruct nurses at a university hospital about a new stroke protocol being implemented to increase rapid recognition of stroke and meet Joint Commission National Hospital Inpatient Quality Measures. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

In total, 86 registered nurses from the neurology and cardiology units attended a lecture and participated in a simulation scenario with a standardized patient exhibiting stroke symptoms. Participants completed a ten-item pre-test to measure their knowledge of stroke care prior to the lecture; they repeated the test pre-simulation and once again post-simulation to evaluate changes in knowledge.

Overall mean stroke knowledge scores increased significantly from pre-lecture to pre-simulation, and from pre-simulation to post-simulation. Simulation plus lecture was more effective than lecture alone in increasing knowledge about hospital stroke protocol despite assigned unit (cardiology or neurology), years of experience, or previous exposure to simulation.

All eligible nurses who agreed to participate received training, making it impossible to compare improvements in knowledge to those who did not receive the training.

A diverse array of nursing professionals and their patients may benefit from simulation training. This quality improvement intervention provides a feasible model for establishing new care protocols in a hospital setting.

This study aims to review the lived experience of patients suffering from stroke and describe their perception of palliative care needs.

A literature review search was conducted. Web of Sciences, SAGE, CINAHL, PubMed and Jordanian Database for Nursing Research databases were used to search the literature.

The findings of 37 articles were address palliative care approaches for patients with stroke, lived experiences of patients suffering from stroke and the experience, barriers and facilitators related to health-care service for stroke survivors.

This review indicated the importance of recognizing palliative care needs among patients suffering from stroke to improve post-stroke recovery. This study recommends further research, especially in low- and middle-income countries, to understand patients’ experiences and recognize the main palliative care needs that can be incorporated into interventions designed to improve the quality of life among them.

The purpose of this paper is to study serum lipids, lipoproteins, homocysteine (Hcy) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and to evaluate the relationship between serum lipids, lipoproteins, Hcy and PDGF in patients with hypertension.

In total, 85 patients with hypertension (34 males, 51 females) were recruited from October to December 2015 at Saraphi Hospital, Chiang Mai Province using purposive sampling. PDGF mRNA levels of the patients were analyzed using the RT-PCR method. Hcy was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. An enzymatic-colorimetric method was used to measure serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride. A low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level was calculated using Friedewald’s formula. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson product moment were also used in the analysis.

Among the patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, high levels of LDL-C, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperhomocysteinemia were found in 54.1, 70.7, 25.9 and 44.7 percent, respectively. In addition, PDGF was significantly correlated with Hcy (r=0.705; p<0.005). There was no association between serum lipids or lipoproteins and Hcy or PDGF in patients with hypertension.

The results of this study provide direction on how serum lipids, lipoproteins, Hcy and PDGF can be used as a guide to improving dietary management as a means of reducing cardiovascular disease, and stroke in patients with hypertension.

This manuscript is not currently under consideration, in press or published elsewhere. This manuscript is truthful original work without fabrication, fraud or plagiarism. The authors have made important scientific contributions to this study. The authors are familiar with the primary data, and have read the entire manuscript and take responsibility for it content. No benefits were received by the authors or any member of the authors’ family or the research team, from any commercial source, directly or indirectly related to this work. Moreover, no one affiliated with has any financial interest related to the subject matter of this manuscript.