Best Practice News

Check out the updated Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Care. Stroke team discussions across the South East are already underway about potential changes with our current clinical hyperacute and acute stroke processes. One recent change at the KHSC-KGH site was the implementation of tenecteplase (TNK) instead of alteplase (tPA) for eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke. Use of TNK as an alternative for IV thrombolysis was launched on September 1st. The team described the change as “fairly seamless” and “going well.” 

Good news was received from Accreditation Canada on January 20th: for the fourth time, Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) achieved the National Stroke Distinction Award for Acute Stroke Services! KHSC was commended for its many strengths in the delivery of stroke care and prevention, including strong leadership support and a strong dedicated and knowledgeable interprofessional team providing the best care for patients.

An Ontario Secondary Stroke Prevention Task Group has been gathering and developing resources to further support Stroke Prevention Clinic (SPC) efforts to implement the Ontario SPC Core Elements. The group reviewed the SPCs’ Core Elements self-assessment summary to look for unaddressed gaps and listed them in a 2020 survey circulated to SPCs across Ontario.

The Primary Care and Stroke Prevention Clinic CME held virtually February 16th 2022 was well-received with 71 health care providers attending from across Southeastern Ontario. Participants learned more about current stroke prevention best practices, stroke prevention medications, and stroke risk factors such as cancer and recreational drug use.

"As a stroke survivor with firsthand knowledge of some of the unique pieces of the puzzle that are needed to help us, it was deeply fulfilling to collaborate on and lend perspective to some of the tools available to assist with navigating the numerous resources out there.

A collaborative event about the Deseronto Indigenous Blood Pressure (BP) Screening Model was held virtually in November 2020 with the following main objectives:Learn about a culturally sensitive approach to community-based blood pressure screeningGather input to initiate an action plan for Indigenous blood pressure screening with the Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team (IIPCT) who is primarily located in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and serves Indigenous communities across the south eastThe Indigenous BP Learning and Sharing Event was led by Kathy Brant and Maureen Buchanan, the I

      The Basic Life Support Patient Care Standards for paramedics in Ontario recently added the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) as a secondary screen in their Acute Stroke Bypass Protocol. Paramedics are now using the LAMS as their large vessel occlusion (LVO) screen for potential Endovascular Thrombectomy (EVT) candidacy.

The ACT-FAST is a large vessel occlusion triage tool used to screen for EVT eligibility.

The Primary Care and Stroke Prevention Clinic CME held February 5th 2020 was well-received with 55 health care providers attending from across the South East. The post evaluations were positive with some comments indicating that the content was “usable” and “would like to attend more of these events.”  Participants learned more about current stroke prevention best practices, stroke prevention in women, new driving guidelines, post stroke fatigue, and stroke prevention medications.

3 Stroke Prevention Provincial Resources were recently developed to help tackle main gaps identified in the Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic Core Elements self-assessments completed in 2018/19:Stroke Prevention Infographic for Primary Care Providers to provide general information about the Stroke Prevention Clinic and what treatment providers could initiate after imaging has been reviewed.Standardized Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic Referral Criteria to help improve timely access and establish better linkages with Stroke Prevention Clinics.Stroke Prevention Clinic Patient Summary to su