Diagnosis of Transient Ischemic Attacks in the Emergency Department

Diagnosis of Transient Ischemic Attacks in the Emergency Department

Patients presenting a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and admitted to the Emergency Department should be referred to a neurovascular specialist. In recent years, several hospitals have established TIA clinics. These units are day hospitals where all the necessary examinations are performed. Access to this expertise has proven beneficial in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly the risk of early recurrence. Unfortunately, this access is limited by issues of medical demographics and unequal access to the healthcare system. In practice, this ideal care is not always possible. A portion of the TIA population is at low risk, and diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are limited, not always requiring neurovascular expertise.

The hypothesis of this research is that the management of a patient who has suffered a TIA (additional examinations, treatment, referral) is not linked to their cardiovascular risk and that the performance of additional examinations and therapies is incomplete.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult (≥18 years old)
• Having consulted the emergency department or been diagnosed with TIA during the period from January 1, 2024, to December 12, 2024 (records will be compiled via coding at the East Rescue regional emergency observatory)
• TIA will be defined as a sudden, transient neurological deficit that had disappeared by the time of arrival at the emergency department

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subjects with a suspected diagnosis of TIA, i.e., with a sudden, transient neurological deficit that had disappeared by the time of arrival at the emergency department.