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BACKGROUND: Remarkable differences among European countries have been found in stroke rehabilitation models, owing to the fact that stroke rehabilitation services are embedded in health care systems. Comprehensive data on service utilization by stroke survivors in Italy are lacking, but would be instrumental in improving efficiency and effectiveness of post-acute stroke care, and consequently, in containing costs and improving outcomes. AIM: The purpose of the present study was to survey the Italian regional legislations in order to examine the provision of rehabilitation services for stroke survivors in Italy. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional, observational study. SETTING: Post-stroke intra- and extra-hospital rehabilitation. POPULATION: All decrees and resolutions as to post-acute stroke rehabilitation were collected from each Italian region. METHOD: All decrees and resolutions were examined by the means of a check list including quantitative and qualitative characteristics, selected in accordance with national official recommendations. Each completed check list was then sent to each regional reference person, who filled in the section on the implementation of the indications and compliance. RESULTS: The study was carried out from November 2009 to September 2010. The documents were collected from 19 out of the 20 Italian regions. The results of the study indicate that there are many, remarkable regional variations in health policies concerning post-stroke care. Instruments for evaluation and criteria for allocating stroke patients to proper rehabilitation setting vary across regions, but data on the potential impact of these variations on clinical outcomes are still lacking. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the issue that, in Italy, delivery of post-stroke rehabilitation services is not uniform nation-wide and varies substantially across regions. The lack of a comprehensive post-acute stroke strategy is a major obstacle to service availability. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The study results advocate the need for a consistent and comprehensive strategic planning of post-stroke rehabilitation in Italy.

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The stroke units (SUs) have been demonstrated to be efficient and cost effective for acute stroke care. Nevertheless, the level of stroke unit implementation in Italy does not correspond to expectations yet. This study is a survey, which aims at assessing the current status of in-hospital stroke care in the Italian regions and at updating SUs. The survey was conducted by means of a semi-structured questionnaire, based on 18 stroke care "quality indicators", submitted to all the Italian centres that had taken part in the SITS-MOST study, and to other centres advised by the coordinator of SITS studies and by regional opinion leaders of stroke. SUs were defined as acute wards, with stroke-dedicated beds and dedicated teams that had been formally authorised to administer rt-PA. A statistical analysis was performed by a descriptive statistics and logistic regression model. The study was carried out from November 2009 to September 2010. A total of 168 forms were sent out and 153 replies received. Seven centres, which had not performed any thrombolytic treatment, and 16 which did not fulfil the criteria for the definition of SU were excluded from the study. Most of the centres reported more than 100 stroke patient admissions per year, i.e., 122 (84%) from 100 to 500, 18 (12%) more than 500. The 19% of the centres admitted more than 30% of patients within 3 h from the symptom onset and only 30% admitted more than 30% of patients within 4.5 h. The mean number of thrombolyses performed in the last 6 months was 10 for centres with a doctor on duty 24 h a day, 6 for those that have a doctor on duty from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a doctor on call for night, and 5 for centres with a doctor on call 24 h a day. The territorial distribution of the SUs is remarkably heterogeneous: 87 SUs (67%) are located in the North of Italy, 28 (22%) in the central part of Italy and only 15 (11%) in the South. The last few years have witnessed a rise in both the diffusion of SUs and access to thrombolytic therapy in Italy. Despite this, there are a few large areas, mostly in the south, where the requirements of healthcare legislation are not met, and access to a dedicated SU and thrombolytic treatment is still limited and poor.

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Vascular access recirculation (R) is a well-known cause of decreased dialysis dose. In this paper a new easy protocol for R detection in pre-dialysis derived from the classic Glucose Infusion Test (GIT) is introduced. The pre-dialysis GIT (GIT-pre) is based on the glucose (5%, 10 ml) bolus injection directly into the venous needle and on a simultaneous withdrawal from the arterial needle. If the glucose value increases during the glucose bolus, R is present. This new protocol was validated on 29 chronic haemodialysis patients (20 AVFs, 7 CVCs, 2 PTFE grafts), comparing the glucose increase with the classic GIT during dialysis. Only one CVC had R with the blood lines in the normal position (deltaglu = 465 mg/dl with GIT-pre and a deltaglu = 186 mg/dl, R = 9.3% with classic GIT) while in the reverse blood line position, all CVCs showed a significant glucose increase (mean GIT-pre deltaglu = 195 mg/dl; mean GIT deltaglu = 140 mg/dl corresponding to a R = 8%). There were 5 AVFs with true R (correct blood lines position) clearly identified by both methods (mean values deltaglu = 316 mg/dl with GIT-pre and a deltaglu = 390 mg/dl, R = 19.5% with classic GIT). Preliminary results show good reliability of the new protocol in identifying VA R caused either by failing VA with stenosis or by reverse blood lines position. The GIT-pre is a simpler application of the classic GIT useful for testing new VA, new needle positions or CVC performance before starting dialysis. A simpler R test could increase the frequency of the measurements and consequently the power of R in early detection of VA problems.

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